NPCC cries foul
Source: The Sangai Express

Senapati, April 15 2019: The Naga People's Coordination Committee (NPCC), formed in connection with the Lok Sabha election of 2019, has threatened to agitate from April 17 if its demands are not paid heed by the authorities, reports NNN.

Ashinpou Gangmei, convenor of the NPCC said that they took "strong exception to the opening of sealed Strong Rooms" in which the polled EVMs of Saikot 59 Assembly Constituency, Singhat 60 Assembly Constituency and Churachandpur 58 Assembly Constituency which were duly sealed at 2.30 pm on April 12 in the presence of all the representatives of political parties, were opened at 11.03 am, at 11.11.am and 11.46 am respectively on April 13, 2019 without following the procedure laid down by the Election Commission of India.

According to Ashinpou Gangmei, objection was registered in written by the NPF representative present there and later also by the "NPF Election Agent" .

"When the Strong Rooms were admittedly opened but without the consent of the NPF representative and knowledge of the candidates and were left opened the whole day, the sanctity of the entire electoral process has been violated," the NPCC convenor said.

According to Ashinpou Gangmei, Election Observers and officials are supposed to strictly enforce the guidelines and code of conduct.

He also said that they are not authorised to open the Strong Rooms without following the prescribed guidelines.

When the democratic principles and spirit, which are embodied in prescribed procedures have been violated the confidence of the people in the electoral process is broken, he added.

"We, therefore, demand that stringent actions must be taken upon Shyam Lal Poonia, ARO/DEO, Churachandpur and BK Singh, Observer i/c of Strong Rooms, Churachandpur as per the law of the land.

We also demand that the EVMs in the 3 opened strong rooms should not be included in the counting as they have been compromised," the NPCC demanded.

According to Ashinpou Gangmei, to uphold the democratic principles and spirit and in the interest of the electorate who have duly exercised their franchise in good faith, the NPCC will take it to the streets and highways with mass protest action from 6 am of April 17, 2019 to 6 pm of April 18, 2019 if the above demands are not complied with.

"Further course of action will be initiated till justice is delivered.

Any eventualities that arise therefrom will solely be the responsibility of the concerned authorities," he added.

"We appeal to all right thinking citizens and political parties of the State to extend their cooperation to this call in the interest of justice," the NPCC convenor stated.

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