Protest against granting citizenship to Chakma-Hajong refugees in Arunachal Pradesh, several vehicles torched

They were protesting against granting citizenship to Chakma and Hajong refugees in the north eastern Indian state bordering with China.

According to reports, the situation turned violent in Itanagar and Naharlagun after a large number of bandh supporters and activists of AAPSU shouted slogans against the government decision of granting citizenship and torched several vehicles and blocked roads.

The students' organisation called a 12-hour Arunachal Pradesh bandh as a mark of protest against the Centre's decision of granting citizenship to Chakma and Hajong refugees from East Pakistan orginally.

A top leader of AAPSU said that his party wouldn't accept the government decision.

"We are not ready to accept any infringement on the constitutional protection bestowed on the ethnic tribals of Arunachal Pradesh. Our protest will continue for the greater interest of the ethnic tribals," the AAPSU leader said.

Meanwhile, a top official of Arunachal Pradesh government said that the situation is under control and security forces have been deployed in several parts of the state to restore normalcy.

Earlier, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday sent a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and said that the local people of Arunachal Pradesh were not ready to accept any infringement on the constitutional protection bestowed on them.

The Union Home Ministry had recently granted citizenship to Chakma and Hajong refugees following a Supreme Court directive.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)