Members of the Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) got into a furious argument with the authorities today while taking out a protest against the state government’s proposal to introduce casinos to Meghalaya and ended up blocking National Highway 6 in the process.
HITO burned the effigies of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and other cabinet ministers at Byrnihat, Ri-Bhoi.
Before this, the pressure group held a public procession from Lad Umsaw towards the office of the traditional chief of Raid Marwet to voice their opposition to the casino project. However, they were stopped at Byrnihat by the district administration and police where a heated verbal argument took place and the HITO members then held a sit-in in the middle of NH-6, which created a traffic snarl but was later cleared by police.
HITO president Donbok Dkhar used inflammatory language in his attack on the government, saying that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance has molested and raped the state through corruption for the politicians’ personal gain.
