{"id":2747,"date":"2025-03-08T16:33:34","date_gmt":"2025-03-08T16:33:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/?p=2747"},"modified":"2025-03-08T16:33:35","modified_gmt":"2025-03-08T16:33:35","slug":"cm-pema-khandu-urges-aapsu-leaders-to-reform-and-eradicate-corruption-in-election-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/?p=2747","title":{"rendered":"CM Pema Khandu Urges AAPSU Leaders to Reform and Eradicate Corruption in Election Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>ITANAGAR,Mar 9:&nbsp; Chief Minister Pema Khandu has urged upon the leaders of the state\u2019s apex students body, the Arunachal Pradesh Students\u2019 Union (AAPSU) to retrospect and bring in reforms to cleanse its election process from \u2018corruption\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking at the inaugural session of the Inter-Tribe Festival \u2013 2025, organized by AAPSU here today, the Chief Minister termed \u2018corruption\u2019 as one of the major hurdles in functioning of a government as well as any organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou may be aware that we have upgraded the erstwhile Special Investigation Cell (SIC) to Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), giving it more teeth to deal with corruption in the state government. But you must also know that corruption is not confined to government and its employees,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Khandu pointed that in line with the state government\u2019s commitment to check corruption through reforms like establishment of the State Selection Board and overhauling of the State Public Service Commission, AAPSU needs to bring in reforms to check \u2018money-factor\u2019 in its election process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.10.29.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.10.29.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.10.29-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.10.29-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.10.29-600x400.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is an open secret that huge amounts of money exchange hands during elections of student organizations. AAPSU must take a lead by example to check this corrupt practice for a better future of the youths,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Chief Minister also called for introspection by AAPSU leaders on their future beyond AAPSU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes, many AAPSU leaders of the past made it into politics and became ministers and MLAs. But have any student leader made it into civil services both at the central and state levels?\u201d he questioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Khandu opined that active student leaders should also concentrate on studies and set examples by clearing examinations conducted by UPSC as well as APPSC, which would, he said, will inspire thousands of youths, who are also active in student organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paying rich tributes to all former AAPSU leaders, especially the founding president and secretary, he revealed that AAPSU was formed in 1972 with a sole objective to resolve the Chakma-Hajong refugee issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.35.25.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2749\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.35.25.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.35.25-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.35.25-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Image-2025-03-08-at-16.35.25-600x400.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAAPSU has been fighting against the permanent residency of Chakmas and Hajongs in Arunachal Pradesh since its inception 53 years ago. But where are we today? Is the issue resolved?\u201d Khandu questioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He asserted that the present state government and the central government are in a position to resolve the refugee issue for good. While maintaining that grant of permanent residency in the state to the refugees is out of question, he informed that the state government is earnestly pursuing with the central Home Ministry in regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are hopeful of a permanent solution sooner than later,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Congratulating the present AAPSU team for organizing the festival in a grand manner with participants from across the state, Khandu marveled at the grandeur of Arunachal\u2019s cultural diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf each of the 26 major tribes and hundred subtribes were to perform on this platform, 3 days would be a very short period of time,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hailing Arunachal\u2019s unity in diversity and peaceful coexistence of the tribes, Khandu urged the educated youths to aware the uneducated and the society at large, when \u2018rumors\u2019 or \u2018misinterpretations\u2019 are fanned by vested few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reiterating that the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA) of 1978 is not in favour or against any particular religion, he urged the youths to take upon themselves to clear the air on APFRA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are a secular country. A Buddhist can become a Hindu if he or she wants to. Any Hindu can become an Indigenous Faith believer. Likewise any Indigenous Faith believer can become a Christian or Hindu. It\u2019s a personal choice and this Act is not going to take away this freedom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Khandu said that Rules of the APFRA have to be framed because its an order from the High Court. However, the Rules will be framed only after consultation with each of the religious communities residing and practicing in Arunachal Pradesh, he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ITANAGAR,Mar 9:&nbsp; Chief Minister Pema Khandu has urged upon the leaders of the state\u2019s apex students body, the Arunachal Pradesh Students\u2019 Union (AAPSU) to retrospect and bring in reforms to cleanse its election process from \u2018corruption\u2019. Speaking at the inaugural session of the Inter-Tribe Festival \u2013 2025, organized by AAPSU here today, the Chief Minister&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2747"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2747"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2750,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2747\/revisions\/2750"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltoday.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}