Itanagar, Aug. 14 (PTI): The Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) today said the BJP's decision to sever ties with it was not a "healthy sign" for the region and that the PPA's bone of contention was Pema Khandu carrying on as the chief minister.

State BJP president Tapir Gao, on August 10, announced that the party had severed relations with its North East Democratic Alliance (Neda)'s partner, the PPA, following orders from the party's central leaders.

Reacting to the BJP's decision, PPA secretary general Kaling Jerang, in a statement, said, the party wanted Khandu, who facing "charges of corruption and criminal conspiracies", not to continue as the chief minister.

He said the party had earlier written to BJP national president Amit Shah and Neda convener Himanta Biswa Sarma demanding Khandu's removal.

"There were serious charges of corruption and criminal conspiracies leading to the death of two persons in Tawang in May last year and the 60-page suicide note left behind by former chief minister Kalikho Pul, where Khandu has been named with grievous charges of corruption," Jerang said in the statement.

At least two persons were killed when police opened fire to disperse a mob opposing hydro power projects in Tawang district, when they tried to storm a police station on May 2 last year.

Jerang said the BJP's decision to disassociate with the lone regional party in the state from Neda was "definitely not a healthy sign" for the development of regional political parties and the region itself.

The party, he said, expected that Neda would play a larger role in the all-round development of the Northeast rather than be a platform for "divisive politics masterminded by self-centred politicians".