Tura, July 25: A hardcore NPP worker, Jackson A Sangma, who was seen as part of meeting between the protesting NGOs, ACHIK, GSMC among others was arrested this evening by the WGH police for his role in the incitement of violence in the mob last evening.
Jackson, a resident of Nikwatgre in the Dakopgre locality in Tura, was seen as part of the group that went into conversation on the demand for a Winter Capital and clearance of back log in jobs for the Garo community. As to how he was part of the meeting remains a mystery as the protest organizers did not reply to identifying if he was indeed a part of the group that met the CM.
He, however, left the meeting halfway and began to mingle with the crowd of supporters. At some point of time, he began to question the hunger strikers and their objectives, expressing to those around him that they could not be on fast for 14 days and still walk without support.
A video of his inciting the crowd has gone viral since the morning where the conversation that he had went like this:
“Jackson: ‘He pretends to be weak to the crowd when he was lying here but doesn’t feel weak to walk over there’?
2nd guy: ‘Does he think we do not know that he has had his meal (rice) and is only pretending to be weak while he was lying here’?
3rd: ‘We will dismantle all these structures today. We will not even allow them to continue’.
In the background: They should not have gone inside”.
Yesterday’s violence saw a total of 18 police, CRPF and home guard personnel get injured with as many as 22 arrests being made by the police following the incident. A huge number of vehicles were also damaged as well as burnt by miscreants following the violence.
WGH administration and police called the violence an act of vested interest parties who wanted to harm the CM, Conrad Sangma, who was stuck in his Tura CM Office during the duration of the violence last evening.
All areas under Tura Municipality remain under night curfew between 9 PM to 5 AM. Following yesterday’s violence, markets received a very tepid response with most shop owners preferring the wait and watch policy. The situation remained normal with no further incidents reported.
Meanwhile the names of the arrested persons from the incident were provided to media houses with the name of the party, they apparently belong to being mentioned. A total of 8 BJP workers, 1 NPP worker and 13 TMC workers were mentioned. There however has been no clarity on how the party affiliations were construed or why they were even mentioned.