Nineteen individuals were detained for throwing stones at Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s office on Monday, including a Trinamool Congress politician and four BJP members.
The Tura Police have detained Richard Marak, a TMC candidate from the South Tura seat who ran against Mr. Sangma in the 2023 Meghalaya Assembly elections. He was involved in the mob attack on the chief minister’s office. In the attack, 18 members of the security forces suffered injuries.
Four members of the BJP, including two from its women’s arm, the BJP Mahila Morcha, were also detained. The National People’s Party (NPP), led by Conrad Sangma, is a coalition partner in the state with the BJP.
Last night, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Chief Minister’s office and began throwing stones. In the attack, five security employees suffered injuries. They were taken into Mr. Sangma’s workplace.
Garo Hills-based civil society groups have been on a hunger strike demanding for a winter capital in Tura.
“Discussions were going on, we had already agreed to meet in Shillong to further discuss the matter with all stakeholders, and the NGOs seemed more or less satisfied. A majority of the society and NGOs were not part of this fasting protest, only two-three of them were there. 90 per cent of the organisations weren’t part of this,” Mr Sangma said in a video statement.
“Even then, I believe that dialogue is important. Hence, I made a point to meet them. After the discussion was almost over, we heard sloganeering from outside. I asked them not to create any scene out here. Their leaders (of the NGOs in talks) went outside to speak to the people. They came back and said they did not know who these people were, never seen them before during the fasting protest,” Mr Sangma added.
Conrad K. Sangma was peacefully engaging with pressure groups and NGOs who were on a hunger strike on Monday evening when, according to sources in the Chief Minister’s office, some groups encircled and threw stones at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Based on video evidence and witness testimony, police have detained 18 people. The number has increased to 19 with the arrest of Mr. Richard.
