Politics · India Bureau
Meghalaya violence escalates with fresh arson, petrol bomb attacks
A wave of arson and petrol bomb attacks targeting government properties has swept across Meghalaya, spreading unrest that began during a student bike rally in Shillong two days ago. The incidents have triggered a security response, with central forces being mobilised to assist state authorities.
LSN India ·
Multiple incidents of arson and petrol bomb attacks on government installations were reported across Meghalaya on Friday as civil unrest continued to spread beyond the state capital. A petrol bomb was hurled at a police outpost in Shillong, while three government vehicles and a motorcycle were set ablaze in Ri-Bhoi district. Another incendiary device was lobbed at a government office in South West Khasi Hills, officials confirmed.
The escalating violence stems from disturbances that erupted during a students' bike rally in Shillong on Wednesday, which saw at least 31 vehicles damaged—predominantly Assam-registered automobiles—and several individuals assaulted. The unrest has since metastasized across multiple districts of the state, compounding tensions in the region. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported in the latest incidents, though authorities remain concerned about the trajectory of the violence.
The disruptions have had wider ramifications, with a blockade in neighbouring Assam disrupting inter-state vehicular movement and complicating logistics in the region. In response to the deteriorating security situation, the Union government on Thursday approved the deployment of five companies of central forces to Meghalaya—comprising four units of the Central Reserve Police Force and one of the Rapid Action Force—to bolster state police efforts until August 25.