JOIN US"Are you betraying the Garos? Retreat or face the consequences – GNLA," the sms, sent from a Bangladesh number 880-1927197749 said.
Among those who received the sms were state Rural Development Minister FW Momin, Civil Defence Minister Augustine Marak and four MLAs of the Garo community.
East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi said that FW Momin, who is currently in New Delhi, called him to inform about the sms threat.
The police have been instructed to take action, he said.
Two additional PSOs have been deployed at Momin’s residence, while more security men were expected to be given to him once he returned from Delhi, the police said.
A senior police official said the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), a nascent militant group floated by a dismissed superintendent of Meghalaya Police Champion Sangma, was under pressure after stepped-up operations against it and surrender of twenty rebels last Wednesday.
The GNLA is the most active militant group in Meghalaya at present and has been blamed for extortion in the Garo hills belt.
On April 6, the group had gunned down five coal labourers in South Garo Hills district. A few days ago, there were reports of firing on trucks by the militants in the coal belt areas of West Khasi Hills district.
The outfit, claiming to be fighting for an independent Garoland, has also carried out kidnappings over the last couple of months and slapped extortion demands on traders.