Tura, Mar 31: Congress leader and former South Tura MLA John Lesley K Sangma on Tuesday sought the immediate arrest of former GHADC MDC Esmatur Mominin in connection with the recent communal violence in Garo Hills which led to the loss of two lives.
Giving his statement to the media in Tura, the former MLA questioned as to how Mominin, who was at the core of the issue has been able to evade arrest by police.
“The failure to arrest Esmatur Mominin, who has been dubbed by people, as the No 1 accused in inciting violence which led to clashes between communities recently, is unacceptable. How is it that police failed to arrest him when many of our youths have been arrested, with some even being sent to jails in Jowai,” John Lesley said.
Marak asked whether the government had any role to play in preventing the arrest from happening even as he pointed out that the government neither condemned nor denied what Mominin had claimed during his speech to supporters at his residence, after going back from Tura.
“Mominin, in his speech, said that the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and Opposition leader Dr Mukul Sangma were among those who told him to file his nomination. Dr Mukul was prompt in denying the charges and has even filed a case against Mominin. But the CM and the Dy CM has not said a word which raises questions,” he said.
Marak also said that it was surprising and unlikely that Mominin would have had the courage to defy the NCM called by Garo pressure groups and come to file his nomination, if he had had no backing.
Hinting that there was more to the issue than what meets the eye, Marak, on behalf of the Congress party demanded the immediate arrest of Mominin, seizure of his mobile phone as well as the conduct of a CBI inquiry into the recent communal violence.
“The party demands the arrest of Mominin within this week. Otherwise, we may be compelled to our next course of action,” he said.
