Shillong, Aug 20: Three leaders of a students’ organisation in Meghalaya were arrested for their alleged involvement in violence during its motorcycle rally here a day ago, police said.
Khasi Students’ Union president Raymond Kharjana, vice president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet and general secretary Reuben Najiar were apprehended late Wednesday night from a hotel in the state’s capital, where they were holding a meeting, a senior officer said.
Statues of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were allegedly vandalised, and at least two government vehicles were torched on Wednesday during the bike rally organised by the KSU here, he said.
The rally was part of the KSU’s ongoing agitation over a five-point charter of demands, including implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, reforms in recruitment through the Meghalaya Public Service Commission and District Selection Committees (DSCs), and stricter regulation of migrant workers.
The bike rally passed through various parts of Shillong, during which at least 31 vehicles were damaged, while at least two government vehicles were set ablaze, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said.
Several people were assaulted and injured during the violence, he said.
“Stone-pelting and vandalism were reported from different parts of Shillong, with both government and privately owned vehicles targeted. The busts of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the Relief and Rehabilitation Colony were also vandalised,” Syiem said.
The SP said the three KSU leaders were booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in connection with damage to public property, assaults and other offences during the rally.
The arrests came hours after the KSU leaders addressed a press briefing, where they denied that members of the organisation were involved in the vandalism and arson during the rally.
The KSU leaders alleged that “people with vested interests” had sneaked into the rally with the intention of derailing the KSU’s demands.
The union had submitted its demands to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on August 4 and subsequently issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government to fulfil their demands.
Among its demands are implementation of a law regulating migrant workers, reforms in government recruitment, and action on its concerns regarding recruitment at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS).
The KSU has also demanded cancellation of the public hearing for the proposed cement manufacturing project in East Jaintia Hills.
It also reiterated its long-standing demand for implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya. (PTI)
