Itanagar, Oct. 6: After the dramatic sequence of events in the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly yesterday, the Opposition BJP today accused Speaker Nabam Rebia of "protecting" chief minister Nabam Tuki.

Around 7pm yesterday, an Assembly notification announced that MLAs Wanglam Sawin and Gabriel Denwang Wangsu had put in their papers on September 16, which the Speaker had accepted on September 30.

But 40 minutes later, the two legislators issued a clarification saying they were forced to resign from the Assembly by chief minister Nabam Tuki.

The two MLAs said 17 Congress legislators were forced to sign resignation letters after a dinner party "in case of any betrayal and failure to support any person other than the present CLP leader and chief minister Nabam Tuki". They also wrote to the Speaker, retracting their resignations.

BJP legislator and Opposition leader Tamiyo Taga today said the Speaker was not behaving in the interest of democracy and claimed that he was working in connivance with the chief minister.

"Match fixing is going on between the chief minister's office and the Speaker which is harmful for democracy," he said.

Taga alleged that Rebia issued the notification despite receiving letters from the two MLAs retracting their resignations.

Claiming that the Speaker is "only present to protect chief minister Nabam Tuki", Taga said Rebia should have contacted the two MLAs who were not present in person when the letters were submitted to his office.

Adding that Rebia "misused his power", Taga said the action was "unbecoming of a Speaker".

Rebia, however, said he received the retraction requests today.

Yesterday's developments have given rise to speculation that all is not well within the Congress government in the state and several ministers and MLAs reportedly want a change in leadership.

Taga said there is dissidence within the Congress and more resignations will follow. He also said the state's economy is suffering because of these developments and Tuki "is unable to run the government".

He, however, denied his party's involvement in causing any problems within the ruling party.

The Congress had won 42 seats in last year's Assembly elections while the BJP won 11. The regional People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) secured five seats while two independents rounded off the 67-seat Assembly.

The Congress's strength later rose to 47 when all five PPA MLAs defected in December last year. Sawin, from Khonsa East seat, was among those who came over. Wangsu had won the Kanubari seat in a byelection on October 15 last year after minister Newlai Tingkhatra's death.

Signs of cracks within the Congress first began to appear in April this year when veteran leader Kalikho Pul was expelled from the party for his alleged "anti-party activities". Pul, however, managed to secure a stay order against his expulsion from a court here. He is currently in New Delhi.