Addressing the media after protesters allegedly set fire to his old residence at Dongkamokam, Ronghang said he had been preparing to engage with demonstrators when he received information about the arson. He explained that the unrest escalated after people misinterpreted a police move to take injured protesters to Gauhati Medical College for treatment as arrests.

"Yesterday, the police shifted a few injured protesters to GMCH for medical care. Some people mistook this for arrests, which triggered violence. Today, a group of youths targeted my residence," Ronghang said.

At the time of the incident, Ronghang said he was in Koka village in West Karbi Anglong and was travelling to meet the protesters around 4 pm. He claimed that nearly 200 people from surrounding villages converged at the site carrying stones and petrol. Despite the attack, he reiterated his belief that sustained dialogue could resolve the crisis and appealed to protesters to refrain from violence.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government was closely monitoring the situation. He confirmed that senior officials, including the Director General of Police, were present on the ground, while Education Minister Ranoj Pegu was on his way to the affected area. "I am personally tracking developments. I believe the situation can still be resolved through dialogue," Sarma said.

Responding to demands for eviction raised by protesters, the Chief Minister pointed to legal hurdles. He said a High Court order had restricted eviction drives in the area but expressed confidence that authorities would find a peaceful solution within the legal framework.

The protests centre on demands for the eviction of non-tribals from Professional Grazing Reserves (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserves (VGR) in the Kheroni area of West Karbi Anglong.

Earlier in the day, tensions spiralled after the arson attack on Ronghang's residence, prompting police to open fire to disperse the crowd. At least three people sustained injuries during the confrontation. Police officials said they resorted to firing after the situation became uncontrollable due to stone-pelting by protesters.

An injured official defended the police action, stating that authorities faced little choice once the protest turned violent. "It was meant to be a strike. Stone-pelting should not have happened," the official said.

In response to the worsening law-and-order situation, the administration imposed prohibitory orders across the district under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to prevent further escalation.