📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / ANKAN
Politics
Meghalaya government bans rallies in Shillong ahead of KSU protest
✍️ India Today NE
🗓 21 Aug 2026, 03:03 AM
👁 4
The Meghalaya administration has ordered a ban on rallies and public gatherings in Shillong until the scheduled KSU protest, citing security concerns.
State authorities in Meghalaya issued an order prohibiting all rallies and public assemblies in the capital, Shillong, until the upcoming Khasi Students Union (KSU) demonstration. The directive, announced by the state’s Home Department, mandates that any gathering exceeding ten persons requires prior police permission.
Officials said the restriction is intended to prevent law‑and‑order disruptions and to ensure the safety of residents ahead of the protest, which is expected to draw large numbers of students and supporters. Police have been instructed to monitor the city closely and to intervene if any unauthorised gathering takes place.
The KSU has not yet responded to the government's move, but the ban means the student body must either postpone its rally or seek official clearance. Violations could attract penalties under the state's public safety regulations.
Local civil‑rights groups have urged the administration to balance security needs with the constitutional right to peaceful assembly, calling for transparent criteria for granting permissions.
Officials said the restriction is intended to prevent law‑and‑order disruptions and to ensure the safety of residents ahead of the protest, which is expected to draw large numbers of students and supporters. Police have been instructed to monitor the city closely and to intervene if any unauthorised gathering takes place.
The KSU has not yet responded to the government's move, but the ban means the student body must either postpone its rally or seek official clearance. Violations could attract penalties under the state's public safety regulations.
Local civil‑rights groups have urged the administration to balance security needs with the constitutional right to peaceful assembly, calling for transparent criteria for granting permissions.