Mukul Sangma calls Shillong violence a ‘complete failure’ of Meghalaya government
Mukul Sangma blamed the Meghalaya government for the Shillong violence and its aftermath. He said ignored warnings and KSU's outreach reflected wider public disquiet ahead of the Assembly session.
- Aug 21, 2026,
- Updated Aug 21, 2026, 9:24 PM IST
- Sangma said civil society warnings were ignored before the proposed rally
- He alleged preventive action was inadequate despite rising tensions in Shillong
- He warned against framing the unrest as a Meghalaya-Assam confrontation
Former Meghalaya Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma on August 21 blamed the state government for the violence in Shillong and its aftermath, calling the situation a “complete failure” of governance.
Sangma alleged that the government had disregarded warnings from civil society groups, failed to assess the likely consequences of the proposed rally and did not take sufficient preventive measures to avert the violence.
He also cautioned against portraying the incident as a confrontation between the people of Meghalaya and Assam. Such a narrative, he said, could harm Meghalaya’s image and disrupt the prevailing peace along the inter-state border.
Questioning the state’s handling of law and order, Sangma said the government had failed to respond to growing public frustration over issues that had repeatedly been brought to its attention by civil society organisations.
Meanwhile, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) stepped up its political outreach on Friday by submitting a memorandum to all 36 public representatives from the Khasi-Jaintia region.
The KSU has sought their intervention to press the state government to consider its five demands, particularly ahead of the autumn session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, which is scheduled to begin on August 24.
The student body said it would also approach the 24 MLAs from the Garo Hills, with the aim of securing the backing of all 60 legislators for its demands.
