24-hour Arunachal capital bandh disrupts normal life

Itanagar, Jun 5 (PTI): Normal life was affected across the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) on Friday as a 24-hour bandh called by a youth group, though the state government maintained that the issues raised by the organisation had already been addressed.
Business establishments, educational institutions and markets remained closed, while roads wore a deserted look with only a few government and police vehicles seen plying.
The Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organisation (APIYO) called the bandh, demanding action against alleged unauthorised mosques and raising concerns over illegal immigration in the state.
The bandh, called from 5 am on Friday to 5 am on June 6, was largely peaceful, barring a few stray incidents of tyre burning by bandh supporters, police said.
The administration earlier called the shutdown illegal.
The state government had asserted that all 15 mosques identified as operating without the required approvals in the Itanagar Capital Region had already been closed and sealed by the administration.
Addressing a press conference, Education Minister and government spokesperson Pasang Dorjee Sona said the bandh had become “irrelevant” as the authorities had acted on the organisation’s primary demand.
According to the minister, 12 such structures had already been sealed or closed by the district administration, while the remaining three, functioning on private land, were shut down on Wednesday.
“The issue that led to the bandh call has been resolved. Since all the identified mosques have been closed, there is no reason for the agitation to continue,” Sona had said.
He stated that the action followed verification by the authorities, which found several structures lacking mandatory clearances, including registration, building permissions, development approvals and other statutory requirements.
The minister reiterated that the government remained committed to ensuring that all institutions and establishments function within the framework of the law while maintaining peace and communal harmony in the state.
Despite the government’s clarification, the bandh went ahead amid confusion within APIYO after conflicting statements emerged from its members on Thursday.
While one faction announced the withdrawal of the bandh at a press conference, another maintained through social media posts that the shutdown would continue as scheduled.