Fully-armed miscreants threaten former Speaker’s sister-in-law
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: A group of suspected GNLA cadres on Sunday night reportedly barged into the house of former Assembly Speaker Martin M Danggo at Munai village, about 3 km from Ranikor, in West Khasi Hills with the intention of serving a demand note.
According to sources, four suspected GNLA cadres, dressed in camouflage and wielding AK-47 rifles entered the house of the legislator on Sunday night.
“Luckily, when the GNLA cadre had come, he (Danggo) was not present in the house as he was supposed to accompany Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Vincent H Pala, to Maheshkola the following day,” sources informed on Tuesday.
On entering the house, the GNLA cadres found Danggo’s sister-in-law, the sources informed, while adding that they introduced themselves as GNLA cadres to her and showed their identity cards, but left immediately after saying that they would return back the following morning.
“The following day, the GNLA cadres, this time in civilian dress, came again but could not meet Danggo as he had already left for Maheshkola with Pala,” sources said.
Meanwhile, Pala and Danggo, who were relaxing at the Ranikor Inspection Bungalow (IB) on Monday, following their trip to Maheshkola, were informed that the GNLA cadres had come to his house for the third time on Tuesday.
Following the report, Congress party workers and Danggo’s supporters prevented him from going to his house asking him to halt at the IB, sources said.
Danggo agreed to stay at the IB but told his aides to go to his house to collect his medicines, sources informed, while adding that when his aides reached his house, around six suspected GNLA cadres again returned back to the house in search of the Langrin legislator.
“Failing to meet Danggo, the cadres gave three Bangladeshi mobile numbers to Danggo’s sister-in-law and directed her to ask him (Danggo) to call them,” sources said.
It was also learnt that the GNLA cadres threatened to attack the house if the former Assembly Speaker failed to call them back.
Meanwhile, Danggo informed that his aides tried to call back the GNLA cadres, but none of the mobile numbers were working.
When contacted, West Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, R Muthu, said that it was yet to be confirmed whether they were GNLA cadres, even though he admitted that the unidentified people who came to the former Assembly Speaker were fully armed.
Muthu however informed that they have intensified police operation in the whole area to nab these miscreants.
“The BSF are also helping us in the operation,” Muthu added.
Sources, meanwhile, informed that the former Assembly Speaker returned back to his house on Tuesday with full security provided by the police and the BSF. His house has been put under a tight security cover.
Meanwhile, the Langrin Block Congress Committee has strongly condemned this attempt of threat to the former Assembly Speaker.
“We strongly urge the Government to trace the people who are involved in these kinds of activities. If they can threatened a legislator then what would be the fate of the people who are residing in the area,” the Committee said in a statement on Tuesday.
GNLA threatens Assam coal exporters for violation for tax norms
The Garo National Liberation Army militants have warned that truckers from Assam taking advantage of their connections with Meghalaya traders to escape paying fine for overloading will not be tolerated in the Garo Hills region, Our Tura Correspondent reports.
The GNLA political secretary Bikdot Marak announced to media persons in Tura that more than a hundred trucks from Assam which are exporting coal daily from Garo Hills are not paying the required tax for overloading because they are aligned with local traders. These truckers, despite having Assam registration numbers, are escaping the necessary fine because of their connections with local business networks.
The Garo militant group has singled out the Coal Truck Owners’ Association from Nangalbibra area of allegedly shielding the Assam exporters by way of providing them with certain documents that help them to take advantage by paying only the half percent fine which is actually meant for Meghalaya registered vehicles.
“Because of this the truckers from Assam escape by continuing with overloading while the roads from Garo Hills suffer immensely,” said the GNLA leader. He accused those manning the gates of taking bribes to allow the trucks to cross over and claimed that Meghalaya ministers are allegedly ‘hand in glove’ with the collection of illegal tax.
The outfit has issued a stern warning that it will target the Coal Truck Owners’ Association and vehicles violating the State norms unless change takes place within the next week.
“After March 15 if nothing substantial takes place, we will open fire on any truck that is misusing the road rules and set it on fire and the truck owners’ association must disband and dissolve before the deadline,” said the GNLA leader.