Meghalaya's West Garo Hills tense after overnight arson, looting
Shillong (PTI): The situation in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district remained tense on Thursday morning following overnight arson and looting, officials said.
Residents in several localities of Tura town kept vigil throughout the night to safeguard their neighbourhoods after incidents of looting, vandalism and arson were reported, they said.
Miscreants looted, vandalised and set fire to several properties, including shops, in different areas of the town, prompting residents to organise themselves and guard their localities to prevent further damage, a senior police officer said.
Among the establishments that were targeted was a liquor store in Tura allegedly belonging to a family member of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. It was looted by miscreants on Wednesday night.
Sources said some anti-social elements attempted to take advantage of the volatile situation by entering residential areas and engaging in unlawful activities. In response, community members from several parts of the town voluntarily remained on vigil throughout the night to protect their homes, businesses and neighbourhoods.
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Officials said community stakeholders and church leaders have initiated efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the region.
Violence erupted in West Garo Hills during protests linked to the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), with demonstrators opposing the participation of non-Garo communities in the filing of nominations for the polls.
Two persons were killed and several others were injured when police opened fire to disperse a mob during clashes in the Chibinang area on Tuesday, officials said.
The unrest also led to incidents of arson and damage to property in parts of the Garo Hills region, prompting authorities to deploy additional security forces, including five columns of the Army -- three in Tura town and two in Chibinang -- to restore order.
In the wake of the violence, the chief minister on Wednesday announced the postponement of the GHADC elections that were scheduled to be held on April 10.
The state government has also suspended mobile internet services across five districts of the Garo Hills region as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of rumours and maintain law and order, officials added.
Curfew continued to remain in force in West Garo Hills district and has been extended till midnight of Thursday as authorities stepped up security to maintain law and order.
West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner V Aggarwal told PTI that the curfew would remain in force till 12 am on March 13.
Additional security forces have been deployed in sensitive areas across the Garo Hills region to prevent any fresh flare-up, officials said.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring East Garo Hills district, authorities relaxed the curfew on Thursday from 8 am to 1 pm to allow residents to procure essential items.
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AAP accuses Chadha of indulging in 'soft PR', dodging key issues in Parliament
New Delhi (PTI): The AAP on Friday hit back at party MP Raghav Chadha, accusing him of shying away from raising issues against the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR".
Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) President Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha failed to toe the party's line on several matters in Parliament and did not join opposition walkouts on key issues.
"We all are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal, the Centre doesn't care about soft PR or talking about samosas at airport canteens when bigger issues are at stake," Bharadwaj said in a video posted on X.
"Whenever the Opposition staged a walkout in Parliament, you (Chadha) did not participate. You did not raise issues concerning Punjab, from where you are elected, and you hid in a foreign country when former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested," he added.
AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda also criticised Chadha, questioning whether someone who "fears" Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fight for the country.
"In West Bengal, the right to vote is being snatched away. When a proposal against the CEC came up in the House, you (Chadha) refused to sign it," Dhanda said on X.
"In Parliament, we get limited time to speak, and it can be used either to fight for the nation or discuss trivial matters like cheaper samosas at airport canteens," Dhanda said, adding that Chadha has been hesitant to speak on "real issues" for the last few years.
The remarks came after Chadha earlier in the day said he was "silenced, not defeated", a day after being removed as the AAP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha.
