New govt in Arunachal an 'illegitimate child of BJP': Congress

The mandate of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, who voted Congress party to power, has been robbed in broad daylight," Congress' spokesman Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

New Delhi: With the party losing its government in Arunachal Pradesh, Congress today dubbed the new dispensation as an "illegitimate child of BJP" and blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah for the "diabolical design to decimate democracy".

"Gross and rampant misuse of money power finally delivered an immoral government of opportunists and turncoats. The mandate of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, who voted Congress party to power, has been robbed in broad daylight," Congress' chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

The party lost its government when 43 of its MLAs led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu defected wholesale and merged with the People's Party of Arunachal today, just two months after it had regained power following the Supreme Court's judgement.

Addressing a press conference, along with AICC General Secretary C P Joshi, Surjewala alleged that the People's Party of Arunachal Pradesh is the "illegitimate child of BJP's diabolical design to decimate democracy".

He said the "architects of extinguishing and murdering" the very spirit of democracy and constitutionalism are Modi and Shah who rode to power on the promise of cooperative federalism.

"The prodigal sons of Congress who have jumped ship have made massive ideological and political blunder and compromise," he said, hitting hard at the 43 of its 44 MLAs who defected.

He alleged that the Congress MLAs have also destroyed trust of people of Arunachal Pradesh, who voted for them as candidates of Congress.

"Despite the Supreme Court judgement, the fraud that was committed today is very ominous for democracy in India," Joshi said expressing concern over its impact in the Northeast.

"We have seen what has happened in Jammu and Kashmir. We are concerned that similar situation will be seen in NE India," he said.

Accusing the BJP of using money and muscle power, he said having been thwarted twice, BJP began by engineering defections, inducements and threats to subvert the people's mandate.

Asked why the Congress failed to stop the wholesale defection, Joshi said that the message sent by the BJP was that if any state wanted development, it has to be in tune with the ruling party at the Centre.