No damage to any gurdwara in Shillong: Rijiju

CLASHES HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE HILL TOWN BETWEEN RESIDENTS OF PUNJABI LINE AREA AND EMPLOYEES OF STATERUN BUSES OF THE KHASI COMMUNITY

NEW DELHI: There has been no damage to any gurdwara or other institutions belonging to the Sikh community in Meghalaya where clashes took place between a group of bus drivers and locals, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said on Sunday.

Rijiju’s comments come in the wake of the violence in Shillong on Thursday following which curfew was imposed in 14 localities early on Friday and night curfew in the entire state capital.

“Beware of rumour-mongers & troublemakers. There was no damage to any gurdwara or other institutions belonging to the Sikh minority in Meghalaya,” he tweeted.

The Union minister of state for home said law and order in Shillong is under control and the state government is “extremely vigilant and settling the case”. The army had staged flag marches in various localities late on Friday night after the violence.

The clashes took place in the hill town between residents of Punjabi Line area and employees of state-run buses belonging to the Khasi community. Several police personnel were injured. The violence erupted after a bus handyman was allegedly assaulted by a group of residents of the area on Thursday afternoon.

Trouble escalated when rumours spread on social media that the handyman had succumbed to injuries, prompting a group of bus drivers to converge in the Punjabi Line area. The police had to fire teargas shells.

The injured were taken to a hospital where they were administered first-aid.