SHILLONG, AUG 6: Police had to resort to shelling of tear gas and mild lathi-charge to prevent the crowd coming out of the HSPDP rally in Malki ground to proceed towards the state secretariat violating section 144 CrPC imposed by the district administration.
However the situation was brought under control by the police and district administration and nothing significant took place. A cameraman of the PCN received minor injury after a stone hurled by the crowd hit him and some people, including HSPDP leader Ardent Basaiawmoit, were reportedly hit in the melee during the lathi charge.
HSDPD on Thursday held a rally at Malki ground after the state government failed to withdraw the MUDA building byelaws from schedule areas within the deadline, which expired yesterday.
The district administration had imposed Section 144 CrPC, prohibiting assembly of five or more persons within a radius of 500 metre of the state’s secretariat area.
Defying the prohibitory order, HSPDP leader Ardent M Basaiawmoit KHNAM and ngos leaders along with the hundreds of people marched towards the state’s secretariat breaking through the barricade of security personnel at Barik-point despite warnings issued by the district administration officials and police.
In its efforts to prevent the agitating crowd from moving towards the secretariat, police had to fire teargas and resorted to mild lathi-charge.
Heated arguments were exchanged between the police and the rallyists.
Though, the police managed to control the agitated crowd from proceeding towards the secretariat, another group however managed to reach the secretariat’s entrance gate which was under full security cover.
The entire secretariat buildings were sealed as the main entrance door and all doors to the building were locked.
After the confrontation with the district administration, a delegation was allowed to meet Meghalaya home minister Roshan Warjri and urban affairs minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh and the byelaws were discussed.
Basaiawmoit said after the meeting that the ministers have assured that another meeting would be held between the delegation and the government after chief minister Mukul Sangma, who is out of station, arrives in the city.
The ministers also assured that the byelaws would be discussed threadbare and awareness created about them. Meanwhile East Khasi hills deputy commissioner PS Dkhar said a case will be registered against the organizers of the rally for violating the section 144 CrPC – By Our Reporter
Video footage shows that stone hurled from Police side to the Public not from Public