President condoles Kalikho Pul’s death

Pul was found hanging at the official residence of chief minister which he never vacated after his removal from the post, our New Delhi correspondent reports quoting The Times of India and NDTV.

While confirming recovery of a diary and a suicide note from the scene, Chief Secretary Shakuntala Gamlin told the waiting journalists that all have been taken and it is with the magistrate, who will take them on record.

While a post-mortem examination of his body is being carried out, an emergency meeting of the state cabinet chaired by chief minister Pema Khandu announced a three-day state mourning.

In February, Pul was sworn in as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh with the support of 18 dissident Congress lawmakers, two independents and 11 BJP lawmakers who gave him outside support in the 60-member Assembly.

Pul had come to power after 12 MLAs supporting then chief minister Nabam Tuki joined his camp.

Hailing from the remote Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh bordering China, Kalikho Pul trekked a long way in his political career to become the eight chief minister of the state.

Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein confirmed the news to IANS. Loneliness must have crept into him. He was just 47 years old.

With protests erupting over Pul’s reported suicide, the state police have been deployed to ensure that no untoward incidents occur.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi expresed shock at the “untimely and tragic demise” of Mr. Pul and extended her condolences to his family.

Kalikho Pul was an orphan.

Talking to ANI, ex-CM Nabam Tuki said that “It is sad and really unfortunate that young leader Kalikho Pul is no more with us”.

Pul was replaced as the Chief Minister by Dorjee Khandu’s son Pema Khandu.

The Supreme Court ruling dealt a blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitions of expanding in the northeast, where his Bharatiya Janata Party scored its first state election victory in the region with a win in Assam in May.

Meanwhile, on the morning show, the Congress in-charge of Arunachal Pradesh CP Joshi claimed Pul was a “Congressman” till the end: “He was a committed Congressman”.