SHILLONG/TURA: The opening day of the nomination process for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections turned violent on Monday after former Phulbari MLA Esmatur Mominin was allegedly assaulted by a mob outside the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office in Tura.
The incident has triggered serious concerns over law and order in the region, prompting the Meghalaya Government to place the entire Garo Hills belt on high alert.
According to reports, the situation escalated early in the morning when Mominin, accompanied by fellow aspirant Enamul Haque, arrived at the DC office to file their nomination papers as Independent candidates.
Before official filing hours began, information about their presence reportedly spread quickly, drawing a large crowd to the premises. The crowd, believed to include members of groups opposing the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC elections, soon turned agitated.
Despite the presence of security personnel, the crowd allegedly breached security and forced its way into the compound.
In the chaos that followed, Mominin and Haque were allegedly attacked by the mob. Supporters accompanying the candidates were seen fleeing as the situation spiralled out of control.
Police reinforcements were rushed to the spot and managed to extract the candidates from the crowd. Both individuals were subsequently taken into protective custody and shifted to Tura Civil Hospital for medical treatment.
Following the incident, Commissioner and Secretary CVD Diengdoh confirmed that the government has activated emergency measures to prevent further unrest.
“We have directed all Deputy Commissioners, including the DC of Tura, to immediately convene Peace Committee meetings. The Superintendents of Police have also been instructed to maintain law and order at any cost,” Diengdoh said.
Authorities further informed that the Director General of Police (DGP) is personally monitoring the situation, while additional security forces are being deployed across the Garo Hills plains belt to prevent communal tensions.
Officials stated that the underlying tension stems from an ongoing legal dispute regarding Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates for certain candidates.
Diengdoh noted that the matter is currently sub judice before the High Court, and the government is awaiting a final ruling on the eligibility of the candidates to contest the elections.
Despite the violence and the fact that no nominations were successfully filed on the first day, the government has indicated that the election schedule will remain unchanged.
Nominations for the GHADC elections will continue until March 16 at 3:00 PM, and authorities have stated that there are currently no plans to postpone the polls.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Tura remains tense as local organisations continue to stage protests outside the DC office complex.
