Former Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma files complaint against ex-MLA Esmatur Mominin over alleged inflammatory speech

Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has filed a police complaint against former legislator S. G. Esmatur Mominin, accusing him of delivering a speech that could potentially incite violence and communal discord ahead of the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).

In a formal complaint submitted to the Officer-in-Charge of Phulbari Police Station on March 10, Sangma alleged that a video circulating on social media shows Mominin addressing a gathering on the evening of March 9 following an alleged physical assault earlier that day. The incident reportedly occurred at the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Tura, where Mominin had gone to file his nomination for the forthcoming district council elections.

According to Sangma’s complaint, the speech contained “vitriolic election rhetoric” at a time when tensions remain high over the participation of non-tribal candidates in the district council polls. He warned that such remarks could provoke hostility and deepen divisions between communities in the sensitive political climate of the Garo Hills.

The former chief minister further alleged that Mominin publicly invoked his name and that of two other public figures during the address, suggesting they had tacitly approved his nomination and the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC elections. Sangma strongly denied any such discussion or endorsement, stating that the claim was “entirely untrue” and amounted to the spreading of rumours capable of inciting hatred or conflict among communities.

While the exact size of the gathering could not be confirmed from the video, Sangma noted that the audible participation of several individuals suggested that the meeting involved more than ten people.

Seeking legal action, Sangma urged the police to register a case under sections 192, 196, 353 and 57 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, or any other provisions deemed appropriate, for spreading rumours and promoting enmity in a socially sensitive environment.