ITANAGAR: A 50-year-old member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who was allegedly abducted from his home at gunpoint, returned home on Wednesday night.
According to local press, it remains unclear where Sangam Wangsu was taken and which group was involved in his abduction.
On the intervening night of Tuesday, the Gram Panchayat Chairman (GPC) was reportedly abducted by an armed militant group from Longding around 1 am.
Allegations suggest a connection between the abduction and threats issued by banned militant outfits, purportedly coercing voters to support the National People’s Party (NPP) candidate in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Earlier, a letter purportedly issued by Peyong Wangsa, a self-styled major general of the NSCN (K-YA), surfaced, urging residents of Longkhao village to support NPP candidate Thangwang Wangham. The letter, perceived as a directive, threatened strict action against those failing to comply with the mandate to support Wangham.
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In response, NPP candidate Thangwang Wangham vehemently disassociated himself from the letter, emphasizing that he neither authorized nor condoned its circulation. Wangham urged voters to exercise their franchise independently, without succumbing to external pressures or coercion.
“I completely disown this letter and any potential consequences arising from it,” stated Wangham, urging voters to make informed decisions based on candidates’ platforms and integrity.
Earlier reports from April 16 revealed that militants were using coercive tactics to influence support for a specific candidate in the insurgency-prone Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh.
According to local media, villages in the Longding Pumao assembly constituency have been targeted with intimidating leaflets.
Moreover, armed militants have been sighted in villages including Niuasa, Longkhaw, Mintong, and Longphong, where residents are allegedly being intimidated at gunpoint to endorse the NPP candidate, Wangham.
As authorities launched an investigation, the precise motive behind the abduction remains under scrutiny.
