TURA:
Congress working president of the state and former minister Deborah C Marak has expressed shock over the scale of violence in Tura and said leaders behind the mayhem need to be held accountable.
Speaking to media persons, Deborah Marak also questioned the ‘preparedness’ of the authorities in handling the situation while questioning the motive behind the rampage when talks were still under way between the chief minister and the protesting group ACHIK.
“There is no doubt that the leaders who organised the protests need to be held responsible because innocent lives were affected and public property was destroyed. How could the unrest happen when talks had not even concluded. There is something sinister,” said Deborah Marak.
Expressing support for the winter capital in the Garo Hills, the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee working president said that its establishment would greatly accelerate progress and development of Garo Hills.
“To have the winter session in the Garo Hills would be a very big achievement but the government should have had a proper strategy in dealing with the issue, otherwise such a situation would not have come to pass,” she said.
The Congress leader also questioned the preparedness of the authorities in dealing with the widespread attacks and vandalism saying a lot more should have been done to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
She also labelled the statements made by some of its members, who unsuccessfully contested the last assembly polls, as their individual views that had no connection with the decision of the party.
Former militant leader of the GNLA, Champion R Sangma, who unsuccessfully contested against Mukul Sangma in Songsak allegedly made provocative remarks in social media, as also congress candidate Uttora Sangma, who lost to Mukul’s daughter Miani D Shira in Ampati. She had blamed the delay on the part of the chief minister for the palpable anger and mistakes on the part of the administration.