Itanagar, June 10 (UNI) Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday reiterated that the Chakma and Hajong communities residing in Arunachal Pradesh should voluntarily leave the state, citing legal and constitutional provisions that prevent their settlement in protected tribal areas.
Speaking to the media during the ‘Viksit Bharat Ka Amrit Kaal – Seva, Sushasan, Garib Kalyan ke 11 Saal’ programme in Itanagar, Rijiju said, “We are repeatedly appealing to the Chakma and Hajong communities to leave Arunachal Pradesh voluntarily. In a democratic country, forceful eviction is not permissible.”
Rijiju noted that the Chakmas and Hajongs were settled in Arunachal Pradesh in 1964 by the then Congress-led government. “Now, time and laws have changed. We are requesting them to relocate to any place they find suitable. The government is also prepared to provide a rehabilitation package, but they must cooperate,” he said.