Arunachal journalist denies political gamesmanship in state

Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), Aug.30 (ANI): Recent reports in the media suggesting that there is clear evidence of Arunachal Sentinel CEO Jarpum Gamlin having telephonic dialogue and conversation with Pradeep Thakur, the journalist credited with writing an article about the Nyishi tribe trying to gain political mileage from the recent death of former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu have been rejected by Jarpum Gamlin himself.

In a letter to this agency, Jarpum Gamlin, the CEO of The Sentinel Arunachal, said there was no truth to allegations levelled against him by what he called "vested interests" in Arunachal Pradesh.

Jarpum says that the article put out by ANI refers to him trying to "supplement emotion created by Khandu's death and consolidate the election of the present Chief Minister", which he denies.

Jarpum further says that he has never known or contacted Thakur and views the whole episode going back to earlier this year as a conspiracy.

He describes the allegation levelled against him as unfounded and adds that nobody has been able to prove it so far.

"I have never heard of or knew Pradeep Thakur from the Times of India till May 6, 2011," Jarpum says in his letter to the editor. (ANI)