Newmai News Network
Shillong, July 28: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the Mahadev Khola incident was not in any way religiously or communally motivated.
“It was a stand-alone incident and not at all religiously or communally motivated but it just so happened that the two groups are from two different communities and hence, it is not right to connect those dots and then try to give it a communal or religious colour,” Sangma told reporters.
Must read | NSCN-IM suspends its leader over arrest with arms; says ‘Illegal arms business highest of crimes’
Police have arrested three persons and two juveniles for their alleged involvement in attacking and robbing a shopkeeper at Mahadev Khola on July 24.
Sangma informed that police have also studied the background of the individuals arrested and found that they are not related to any particular organization. “It was a stand-alone incident that happened between two groups and as per law whatever action needs to be taken will be taken,” he said.
The chief minister also appealed to everybody not to give such incidents a communal colour and said, “This is not correct as it leads to unnecessary tensions.”
Whether government will take action against misreporting by a national media on the incident, Sangma however said, “We have not gone into that level but I mean we do expect the news agency to be responsible to not give it a communal colour but if it goes beyond a certain point then we will take actions against agencies that do unnecessarily create this kind of a picture. As I said, agencies should do their homework first, find out the facts and only then come out with these kinds of things. But I will reiterate there is no communal or religious angle to this incident.”
Must read | Beware the Ides of March!