Mokokchung, January 5 (MTNews): Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung, Shashank Pratap Singh has today notified that announcement or declaration of consensus candidate by village councils or organizations and issuing directives or diktats in favor of the consensus candidate and/or against other candidates or voters violates the right of the citizen to participate and vote as per their free will.
Further, it was also notified that any attempt to influence free and fair election by any means or any attempts to interfere with the exercise of the free will of the citizen/voter in election matters is an offence under section 171C, 339 and 340 of IPC.
The DC also stated that this has been reiterated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in its October 26, 2014 instruction which further prohibits any organization or group from any activity or statement that amounts to attack on the citizen from exercising their right to participate or vote with free will.
Further, the Deputy Commissioner has directed the village councils, which are government agencies and auxiliary to the district administration under section 15 of the Nagaland Village Council Act, 1978, to refrain from any type of political activity and remain politically neutral at all time.
“Non-compliance may invite disciplinary action under the relevant section of the Nagaland Village Council Act 1978 and other statute,” the DC cautioned the village councils.
The DC also stated that, with regard to the forthcoming General Election to the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, it has been brought to his notice that a few public organizations, particularly village councils, have been indulged into political activities by declaring their consensus candidate and issuing order/direction/ diktats to “other intending candidates” to not to contest and/or hold any public meeting/program relation to election campaign within village jurisdiction.
“It has also been reported that village councils have been issuing threats to the intending candidates other than their choice for ex-communication from the village along with other punitive actions as per traditional practices,” the DC said.
In this regard, the DC said that every citizen of India has a statutory right to participate or contest election as per his/her own free will subject to the fulfillment of the requisite qualifications and any attempt of force or coercion to subvert the free will of the citizen is violation of the rights guaranteed to the individuals by the constitution and subsequent statutes.