Shillong violence: Meghalaya CM assures safety of Sikh families

The four-member delegation sent by Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh met Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma at state Secretariat in Shillong on Monday. Meghalaya CM assured safety and security to every Sikh family in Shillong.

Earlier, Amarinder Singh tweeted, "Seriously concerned about reports of threat to safety of Sikhs in Shillong. Have asked Cabinet colleague Sukhjinder Randhawa to rush there tomorrow with MPs Gurjit Aujla & @RavneetBittu, MLA Vaid. Asked Meghalaya CM @SangmaConrad to facilitate the team's visit to troubled areas."

The team was asked to make a ground assessment of the situation in the troubled areas of Shillong and extend all possible help to the Sikh community there.

The clashes had begun after a bus handyman was beaten up allegedly by a group of residents of Them Metor area on Thursday afternoon. Trouble escalated when rumours spread on social media that the bus handyman had succumbed to injuries, prompting a group of bus drivers to converge at Them Metor. The police had to fire teargas shells to disperse them, officials said.

The Army conducted flag marches in its disturbed areas and rescued around 500 people following violence and arson. During the violence, a mob torched a shop, a house and damaged at least five vehicles here, besides injuring a senior police officer.

Chief minister Conrad K Sangma chaired a high-level meeting on June 1st and had appealed for calm and urged the people to help bring back normalcy in Shillong.

(With PTI inputs)