GUWAHATI, Jan 16? The Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) has urged, the State Government to take up ?strongly? with the Government of Meghalaya the alleged ?unprovoked armed invasion? of Karbi Anglong by the Meghalaya Police (MLP) last Monday. The Committee has demanded that such ?illegal and objectionable behaviour? by the MLP should not be repeated in future.
ASDC publicity secretary Dharamsing Teron, in a press release this evening, said that armed MLP personnel, claiming to be a Special Operation Team (SOT), had entered Karbi, Anglong through Umjakiri, under Baithalangso police station, by jeep and raided the Ummat weekly market and arrested local Karbi leader Longsing Bey.
Teron said that the MLP subsequently used Bey as a guide and raided Umpanai and its neighbouring villages assaulting and threatening villagers on the pretext of searching for UPDS militants. No militant was found, he said, questioning under what authority the MLP could threaten the life and property of the people of Karbi Anglong. He also wondered as to how the Assam police could not get wind of the MLP?s intrusion.
Teron also questioned the intentions of the Meghalaya Government accusing it of trying to sabotage the peace process in Assam since the UPDS is on a ceasefire with the Government and negotiating a peaceful solution. The area raided by the MLP falls within Meghalaya?s demanded area of Block I and Block II, Teron said, adding that by deliberately undermining the ceasefire agreement, Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr J F Khonglam is trying to pull off an election stunt.