The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday vehemently condemned and refuted the rape allegations against Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu.

“It is shocking and a sad moment for the political history of Arunachal Pradesh that we must be ashamed of to pass on to our next generation. Politics is all about a circle of agreement and disagreement, rivalry and opposition, all for the general good of the people. But stooping below the level of social conscience and resorting to tactics unthinkably dirty just to malign the image of someone for gaining political mileage is beyond comprehension of any human being with even an iota of self-respect and dignity,” said a press release from state BJP president Tapir Gao.

“The State BJP vehemently condemn and refute the allegations leveled against Chief Minister Pema Khandu through some sections of the mainstream media and social sites. This is a case of digging the dead out of the ground with malafide intentions to harm a living individual as a last resort.”

“To make it clear, it is to be reminded that the said case of alleged rape is said to be dated back to 2008 but a FIR was lodged with the Police only in December 2015, when the present Chief Minister was a Cabinet Minister. Being a law abiding citizen and a man of honorable conduct, Pema Khandu had cooperated in the investigation and let the judiciary judge the merit of the allegation. It must be noted that the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, after going through the entire details of the allegation and police investigation, found no merit in the case and subsequently dismissed it by acquitting Pema Khandu from all charges. That was then and it had dawned on everyone concerned that the entire episode was to defame Pema Khandu as at that time he was one of the prominent leaders in the opposition camp during the political turmoil within the then Congress government,” added the release.

“Forcing reappearance of the old and dead case again on the very day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state capital is clearly a desperate attempt to malign the image of Pema Khandu, who is now the Chief Minister of a BJP Government in the state.”

“In this backdrop, the questions that arise are;  a) Why was the FIR lodged in 2015 when the alleged case purportedly occurred seven years earlier in 2008? b) Why didn’t the alleged victim moved the higher court when the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate had dismissed the case in 2016 and the so called victim didn’t do anything till 2018? c) Why did the so called victim chosed to file the FIR in 2015 when the present CM was involved in serious political dissidence with INC? e) How come it is a mere coincidence that the victim files a complaint with NCW on the same day the Prime Minister was visiting the state? d) What was the purpose of those behind the entire episode to inform the media through third party of the dead case now? f) and does filing a mere complaint with the NCW for a case already dismissed by the Court have any value for such sensationalism and propaganda when NCW is yet to give any observation?” the release further said.

“The State BJP and any sensible citizen of the state will out-rightly reject the allegation and clearly understand that it is just a dirty game being played by few vested-interest persons, who do not want a stable government and development of the state. This cheap game smells of jealousy as the present government under Chief Minister Pema Khandu has grown strength to strength in the last one year.”

“Legal actions have already been initiated by engaging counsels in appropriate court of law. It is suspected that the so-called ‘victim’ may just be a tool of few powerful people bent on derailing the process of development by defaming the Chief Minister. It is our appeal to the people not to get carried away by such mischievous and below-the-belt tactics by derailed people and stand by the Chief Minister who has a strong vision for the state and has vowed to fight corruption to the end,” the release said.