UKLF refutes allegation poll involvement
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 30, 2012: Refuting charges of involvement of United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) in the election to the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly held on January 28 as complete hogwash, Secretary of Publicity and Information of the armed outfit NC Brolin Baite has clarified that no UKLF cadre ever tried to prevent the Inner Agents of JD (U) candidate Chungjalien Haokip from entering the polling station 6 of 41-Chandel A/C and forced the electorates to cast their votes in favour of INC candidate Thangkholun Haokip. Talking to a group of mediapersons at Nazareth camp, the designated camp of UKLF located at Muvanphoi today, Brolin asserted that the charges leveled against the outfit by JD-U President M Tombi through media is done only to malign the name of UKLF, which is a SoO signatory.

The charges that UKLF joined hands with INC workers in forcing the electorates to cast their in favour of INC candidate in polling station 41/40, 41/36, 41/56, 41/14/41/21 and 41/22 has come as a big surprise to UKLF because none of its cadres ever ventured out of their designated camp following strict instruction from the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), Brolin said, adding the truth about the matter could also be verified from the nearby police stations or AR posts.

Asserting that the JD-U candidate in question, Chungjalien Haokip was a founder member of UKLF and it is not the first time that he has tried to malign the name of the outfit, Brolin warned that if Chungjalien does not stop from maligning the name of UKLF at once, then, he himself should be responsible for any eventuality.

"UKLF understands very well that during election campaign, Chungjalien has been telling people that that his contest in the election is not to win but to defeat of INC candidate and ensure success of a Naga candidate.

It is Chungjalien who has been trying to promote enmity among the Kuki people in Chandel district", Brolin alleged.

JD-U President M Tombi should not simply go to the press without understanding the ground reality and should verify the antecedent of any person before fielding as party candidate next time, he added.

TL Jacop Thadou, one of the JMG members, who was also present during the press conference, expressed unhappiness over the fact after an agreement arrived at with Joint Commissioner of Election Commission of India and Director of Ministry of Home Affairs on January 13 to allow postal ballots for cadres of SoO signatory groups staying in their respective designated camps, only 11 of them have been allowed to cast their votes.

"Does this mean deprivation of voting rights of these cadres or considering them as some foreigners?", he questioned, and added that all the remaining cadres should be allowed to exercise their voting rights.

If the cadres were to be denied their voting rights, what is the point of the agreement reached during the meeting on January 3,13 and 23 ?, Jacop further questioned, while expressing desire for starting political dialogue between the government of India/ government of Manipur and the SoO signatory groups at the earliest possible.

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