Meghalaya chief minister to complain against Agatha
January 12th, 2011 - 11:41 pm ICT by IANS
Shillong, Jan 12 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Wednesday said he would register his complaint with Prime Minster Manmohan Singh against union Minister of State for Rural Development Agatha K. Sangma for trying to disturb the fragile law and order situation in riot-hit areas in the state.He accused her of moving in the disturbed areas against the district administration’s advice.
“I am going to write the prime minister against the minister of state (Agatha) for her distasteful behaviour. A junior minister is supposed to coordinate with the state or to criticize the government? Has she been directed by the prime minister to do so? Are they (trying) to restore normalcy or further escalate the violence?” said the chief minister.
Ten people have died so far and scores injured in the violent clashes between Garo and Rabha tribes that began Jan 1. Nearly 50,000 people have been displaced from their homes and are staying in relief camps in Assam and Meghalaya.
Hundreds of houses were burnt down in the riot-hit areas of the state.
“This is a distasteful behaviour. When the state government is trying to normalise the situation their movement in disturbed areas against the district administration’s advice will only worsen the law and order situation, which otherwise was limping back to normalcy,” he stated.
Criticising Agatha, her brother and Meghalaya’s Leader Of Opposition Conrad K. Sangma and their father and former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A. Sangma for not paying heed to authorities’ advisory, the chief minister said: “It is presumed that they (Sangmas) are taking advantage of the situation for their own political interest instead of coordinating with the state government.”
On Jan 7, Agatha, her brother and father had a narrow escape when a mob of inmates of the Chotumatia relief camp of Assam’s Goalpara district tried to attack them.
Mukul’s verbal attacks on the Sangmas assumed significance in the wake of their opposition Nationalist Congress Party lambasting the chief minister for rushing to New Delhi during the riot.
- Mukul Sangma a nervous chief minister: NCP - Jan 14, 2011
- Curfew re-imposed in Meghalaya's riot-hit areas - Jan 09, 2011
- Curfew further relaxed in Meghalaya - Jan 08, 2011
- Meghalaya politicians advised not to travel to Assam - Jan 08, 2011
- Day curfew lifted in Meghalaya's riot-hit areas - Jan 14, 2011
- Curfew lifted in Meghalaya's riot-hit areas - Jan 19, 2011
- Agatha Sangma, family escape mob fury in riot-hit Assam areas - Jan 08, 2011
- 1,800 displaced people returned home in Meghalaya - Jan 12, 2011
- Curfew further relaxed in Meghalaya - May 11, 2012
- Meghalaya proposes joint patrols in riot-hit areas (Lead) - Jan 07, 2011
- Meghalaya announces compensation for riot victims - Jan 12, 2011
- Sangma seeks public help for riot victims - Jan 12, 2011
- Four killed in Meghalaya ethnic clash, army called in (Lead) - Jan 06, 2011
- Meghalaya CM rejects Agatha Sangma's accusation on Rabha-Garo clashes - Feb 27, 2011
- Death toll five, curfew extended in Meghalaya areas (Lead) - Jan 07, 2011
Tags: agatha, chief minister, district administration, garo, goalpara district, junior minister, leader of opposition, Lok Sabha, manmohan, manmohan singh, minister of state, narrow escape, normalcy, political interest, prime minster, relief camps, shillong, union minister, verbal attacks, violent clashes