ITANAGAR, Sept 23 - On being mandated by country�s apex court, Arunachal Pradesh Speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok, today rejected the purported resignation letters of Congress MLAs Wanglam Sawin and Gabriel D Wangsu dated 16.9.2015 and ordered restoration of their tenure as members of the Assembly.
The two MLA were allegedly forced to resign from the MLA post without their knowledge at a time when the politically fragile State of Arunachal Pradesh was experiencing a political turmoil over leadership issue.
��After the inquiry conducted by me by hearing the two MLAs on 19.9.2016 and after careful application of mind to the material and law before me, I come to the conclusion that the said resignation letters, are not voluntary and are not genuine. I therefore reject these two purported resignation letters of Sawin and Wangsu.
�Wanglam Sawin and Gabriel D Wangsu, MLAs, will continue as Members of the House from the date of their election/by-election as though nothing interrupted their membership in the House�, the Speaker�s order said.
They will be entitled to their salary, allowances, pension and other amenities from the date they were denied these pecuniary and other benefits.
The inquiry by the Speaker was caused by Supreme Court by its order passed on 24.8.2016 in a Review Petition filed by the two MLAs.
With the restoration of Sawin and Wangsu as Congress MLAs, the total strength of the party rose to three in the 60-member House, while the ruling People�s Party of Arunachal (PPA) has 43 members, its alliance Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) � 11 and Independent - two.
The effective strength of the House is 59 as the Hayuliang seat fell vacant following the passing away of former Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on August 9 last.
