‘MLAs safety in place, GNLA on the run’

***Meghalaya home minister Roshan Warjri along with DGP Rajiv Mehta and additional chief secretary KS Kropha speaking to reporters on Friday***

SHILLONG, APR 10: Even as Meghalaya home minister Roshan Warjri informed that necessary measures have been taken up by the police to ensure safety and security of the Garo hills based legislators, the state police chief Rajiv Mehta said that the GNLA is on the run after police resumed the Hailstorm 11 operation against them.

Warjri assurance of the safety measure being taken up by the state police for Garo hills legislators came at the backdrop of a diktat issued by the GNLA that the outfit will attack their families and home if they failed to pay compensation to anyone who is innocent and killed in “police encounter.

Warjri told reporters on Friday, “With such diktats, we have to act accordingly.” She, however, refused to divulge whether any advisory has been issued by the government to the Garo hills based legislators after the GNLA issued the diktat.

Meanwhile the state DGP Rajiv Mehta rubbished the threat issued to the police by the GNLA that the outfit will also strike at the police and said the militant outfit is on the run after operations against them have been intensified.

Mehta said, “We are determined to fight. We are playing our role and we will be firm on that.” The police chief informed that in the eight days old operation ‘Hailstorm Operation 11’ by police more than five militant camps have been busted and three militants have been killed.

Mehta said that the police also have seized huge ammunition during the operations and one of the camps raided recently has about 90 militants including ULFA.

With regards to the alleged fake encounter in Oragitok village, Mehta said the magisterial inquiry has been instituted and investigation is on and was of the opinion once the inquiry is completed facts will come out and the police will not defending anybody if it is found anyone is wrong.

Mehta also informed that he has given special instruction to operation team to ensure that ‘no innocent will be touched’ during the anti insurgent operations. He said the public have to see the police as friend. – By Our Reporter