SHILLONG, AUG 21: Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma on Friday blamed the state government for the deteriorating law and order situation in Shillong following the violent KSU black flag bike rally, subsequent petrol bomb attacks and arson.

Sangma said the government ignored repeated warnings from civil society organisations, leading to public frustration and anger boiling over.

“This is a complete failure of the government. If permission was issued for a rally, was it not necessary to give advisory to the public? The government has all the machinery to get inputs and put preventive measures in place,” he said.

He cautioned against giving the incident a communal or inter-state colour. 

“It is not a conflict between the people of Meghalaya and Assam. It is an unpleasant incident due to the failure of the Meghalaya government,” he said.

On the narrative spreading on social media, he said, “We are in an era of social media where news spreads like wildfire. The government must deal with such incidents effectively to prevent misinterpretation.”

Terming the government’s response as insensitive, Sangma said merely saying ‘law will take its own course’ is not enough.

On stranded vehicles at the Assam-Meghalaya border, he said, “They don’t know what they are doing. The perception being generated is dangerous and damages the brand and reputation of Meghalaya.”

He also flagged intelligence failure and lack of anticipation. “There is no space for complacency. I have said this in the House. People in government have misplaced priorities, which is dangerous in a democracy,” he said, urging all sections not to view the August 19 incident as a community conflict.