Guwahati/New Delhi, July 10: The fate of Arunachal Pradesh governor V.C. Pande hangs in the balance even as the state unit of the Congress has intensified pressure to remove him and clamp President?s rule in the state. The BJP, on the other hand, has warned of ?dangerous consequences? if the Congress tinkered with the Constitution.
The Congress high command is awaiting the arrival of PCC president Mukut Mithi in the capital for a ?first-hand account?.
Union home minister Shivraj Patil, however, remained non-committal on the imposition of President?s rule and the demand for Pande?s removal, saying these would be debated in Parliament on Monday.
During a brief stopover in Guwahati on his way to New Delhi, Mithi told mediapersons that Pande was ?very sick and has been suffering from memory loss.?
Strongly denying allegations that any ?physical or mental pressure? was applied on the governor, the state Congress chief played a video recording of the Congress team?s discussions with Pandey on Tuesday.
The Arunachal Pradesh unit of the Congress today set a 48-hour deadline to the Centre to recall the ?physically unfit? governor.
?Unless we hear the version of the state leaders, it would be difficult to frame an opinion,? said AICC secretary and Arunachal Pradesh in-charge Maj. (retd) Dalbir Singh.
A team led by Mithi, comprising Takam Sanjay, Tangor Tapak, T. Tempa and others, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC president Sonia Gandhi. It will submit a memorandum demanding Pande?s removal to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Later in the day, BJP president Venkaiah Naidu said in Guwahati, ?Any misadventure in the Northeast will be dangerous,? he said.
?There is no scope for President?s rule in Arunachal Pradesh,? Naidu added. ?In the entire episode, there is an evil design by the Congress to destabilise the region,? he claimed. Naidu also urged the Election Commission to hold immediate polls in the state.
The BJP chief said instead of condemning the ?vandalism? of Congress leaders and workers vis-?-vis the governor, the Congress was trying to find fault with Pande?s actions. ?This should be condemned,? Naidu said.
Chief secretary Ashok Kumar yesterday directed home commissioner M.K. Parida to probe the reported gherao of the governor for over five hours by MLAs despite adequate police being present on Wednesday.
Michi Paku was appointed the new ADC of the governor after S.C. Pachauli was suspended pending ?disciplinary proceedings? against him.