Correspondent

PASIGHAT, 10 Jul: Chief functionaries of different district units of the Adi Bane Kebang (ABK) rejected all allegations against its apex body president Tanon Tatak, calling them “false, baseless and motivated by vested interests.”

Leaders from eight of the nine districts units of the ABK, along with the president and secretaries of Adi Bane Ane Kebang, carefully examined all allegations at a meeting held here in East Siang district on Friday, and unanimously rejected the demand for the resignation of their apex body president.

The ABK’s district unit presidents Katan Kombo (Upper Siang), Tagom Taduk (Siang) and others affirmed that there are no valid reasons behind the demand for Tatak’s resignation.

On 28 June, a group of community leaders had organised a referendum rally here, which saw the participation of Adi people, including a few ABK leaders, who criticised the ABK president for allegedly failing to keep the Adi society united, and demanded his resignation within 15 days.

Expressing their solidarity with Tatak, the district unit presidents, secretaries and women wing leaders argued that any referendum rally must carry legal and factual justification. They also termed the 28 June referendum rally illegal, and ruled out any possibility of their apex body president stepping down.

The meeting was chaired by the ABK’s West Siang unit president Tagong Talom.