Guwahati: The maiden visit of Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah to Meghalaya on Wednesday was marred by a general strike by a rebel outfit.
Another group staged a singing protest and eating beef outside the governor’s resident in the state capital of Shillong to oppose what they said was the saffron party’s alleged anti-Christian attitude.
Shah, who held a series of meetings with party workers and others, however, restricted to talking about all-round development of the Northeast and exposing corruption allegedly indulged in by the Congress-run governments in the region.
The BJP president also focused on improved rail, road and air connectivity to and within the northeastern region and called for increased trade and commerce with the neighbouring countries.
He said rapid development of the North-eastern region would not be possible unless there was significant improvement in road, rail and air connectivity to all the states. The Centre would provide adequate funds for connectivity and infrastructure in the Northeast, but one must ensure that the funds were not siphoned off, he said.
Shah said the Narendra Modi’s BJP-led federal government has put up special efforts to accelerate the pace of development the Northeast.
Even as the BJP president held meetings in the convention center in the Hotel Pine Wood complex in Shillong, normal life in the Meghalaya capital was affected by a 12-hour bandh (strike) called by the banned armed group – Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).
The outfit called the bandh to protest alleged atrocities on minorities including Christians by the sangh parivar (Hindu rightwing groups) and alleged that the proposed ban on cow slaughter by some BJP functionaries would render jobless thousands of tribal people apart from hurting their religious sentiments.
The demonstrators sang protest songs, distributed beef and displayed placards demanding arrest of the BJP president for allegedly inciting attack and atrocities on minorities. Police, however, prevented the protesters from reaching the venue where Shah was addressing party workers following which they organized their “beef lunch party” in front of the Raj Bhavan.
Convenor Angela Rangad said they protested against Amit Shah’s visit because they believed he and his party were anti-tribal, attacked freedom of culture, religion and faith through ban on beef, and vandalized churches and mosques. The group also demanded repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, making school curriculum secular, putting a stop to uranium mining in Meghalaya, and preventing weakening of the RTI Act.