TURA, Aug 7: The husband of BJP Mahila Morcha leader Rakhi Sangma, who was arrested in connection with the July 24 mayhem at the Mini Secretariat in Tura, has filed an FIR demanding equal action against the organisers of the hunger strike claiming that his wife was acting under their guidance.
The FIR was filed with the officer in-charge of Araimile police station.
In his FIR, Balwan M. Sangma claimed that his wife was called by the leaders of the ACHIK and the GSMC — Bernitha R. Marak, Laben Ch Marak and Balkarin Ch Marak — to take part in the hunger strike demanding a backlog policy and a Winter Capital in Tura.
According to Balwan, on July 24 — the day of the violent incident — Rakhi was asked to bring women volunteers to the protest site to control the crowd. He added that his wife was in constant touch on WhatsApp with the leaders and merely acting under their guidance.
This, he claimed, could be verified if messages could be retrieved from his wife’s phone and those belonging to the leaders of the two organisations.
While pointing out that there was no question of Rakhi inciting the crowd as she was merely following orders, Balwan demanded that the same action be taken against the organisers of the hunger strike as his wife.
In the aftermath of the violence in Tura, various Church leaders from Tura, coming together under the banner of the Tura Based Religious Leaders Forum, have appealed to the state government to take into account the sentiments of the public and take necessary steps to bring peace to the region.
The leaders of the forum held a meeting on August 3 and prayed for the restoration of peace in the region.
A meeting was held with West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Jagdish Chelani as well as with various groups from the town where they were requested to restrain themselves and work for peace.
The forum, while appealing to all groups and the public to take steps and help in maintaining peace and harmony, also requested citizens not to upload provocative videos and messages on social media.
