'Discrimination Must Stop': Meghalaya CM Sangma After Women From Arunachal Allege Racial Abuse In Delhi

New Delhi: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Sunday condemned the alleged racist harassment of three women from Arunachal Pradesh in Delhi, stating that discrimination against people from the Northeast “must stop”.

Taking to social media platform X, Sangma wrote, "Discrimination against North East People must stop."

His remarks followed a February 20 incident in which the women were allegedly subjected to racial slurs and verbal abuse by their neighbours during a dispute at their residential building in the national capital. A video of the confrontation has surfaced on social media.

The three women had called an electrician to their fourth-floor flat to install an air conditioner, police said. During the installation, dust and debris fell onto the first floor, triggering objections from neighbours. An argument ensued, and soon escalated, with the neighbours allegedly hurling derogatory remarks, and targeting the women for their north-eastern identity.

An FIR has reportedly been registered under Sections 79 (word intended to insult a woman’s modesty), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 3(5) (common intention) and 196 (promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence or language) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police have named Harsh Singh and Ruby Jain in the complaint.

No physical injuries were reported, but the complainants have alleged mental harassment and humiliation, police reportedly said.

"Because we look a certain way and our Hindi is not very strong, people here perceive that we are not from India. But such people are uncivilised. We are very much Indians. I want justice. Verbal abuse is also very much of a crime. No individual from North East should have to go through such behaviour again," one of the victims said.

No arrests related to the incident have been made so far. 

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