The Congress in Meghalaya, which had pushed for legal action against shutdowns during its rule five years ago, has abstained from nationwide Bharat bandh against fuel price hike.
AICC’s Meghalaya in-charge Luzinho Faleiro said the party has not enforced the shutdown in the State in view of the Meghalaya High Court’s ruling against bandhs in 2013. The Gauhati High Court, too, had given a similar ruling.
The Congress, though, has appealed to the civil society to support the bandh against fuel price hike by other parties including the Left. Congress leaders would be carrying out a protest march in State capital Shillong in the afternoon.
The media in Meghalaya too did not carry news on bandh calls. This follows a high court ruling in May 2015 restraining the media from publicising the statement of organisations calling bandh, strike, hartal, road blockade and holding of rallies in State.
“In case of violation of this order, the court may not only proceed under the Contempt of Courts Act, but it is also directed that the State government shall register criminal cases under appropriate provisions of the law,” the court had said.
The court had later approved former chief minister Mukul Sangma’s plea to set up special courts to try cases related to shutdown calls. He had also pushed for compensation to be paid by organisations calling shutdowns.
Elsewhere in the Northeast, the bandh evoked mixed response while it had no impact in Nagaland. There were no reports of violence during the first couple of hours of the shutdown.