Mokokchung, February 24 (MTNews): The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) of 24 Angetyongpang Assembly Constituency on Friday issued a press release endorsing the statement of one of its supporters, Imkongtemjen.
According to the press release, a total of 9 NDPP party workers were travelling to Mokokchung when, at around 11:00 AM, they reached the area between Yisemyong and Tzurangmen. It said there were “around 20 vehicles and hundred people were assembled at the spot.”
Alleging that the NPP supporters were obstructing the road, their convoy of two vehicles stopped. A verbal altercation between the two parties arose.
Imkongtemjen, the NDPP said, as he was backing off, saw the NPP supporters advancing to the vehicle in the rear view mirror.
“I got off from my vehicle and asked their motive for advancing toward my vehicle. As I was asking this to the NPP party workers, they started to pelt stones at us. I must put it on the record that the NPP candidate was also present at the site, he even pelted stones at us,” Imkongtemjen claimed.
“About five seconds into the stone pelting, the NPP party workers resorted to firing gunshots. We are not sure about the number of gunshots but four empty cases have been recovered by the police in connection with this,” it said, further claiming that the gunshots were not blank fired but fired towards us.
“On hearing the gunshots, I also decided to flee the scene as I was concerned for my safety. All this while my party workers were behind me and everyone fled on their own,” Imkongtemjen said. A Yisemyong Adhoc Town Committee member also came to the place yelling who was disturbing and violating the peace of his area, he said.
“On hearing the voice of the authority from Yisemyong town council, the NPP party workers led by their candidate, Maongkaba Ozukum headed towards Mokokchung town. As they were fleeing the scene, one of the car belonging to NPP party workers toppled,” Imkongtemjen stated in the press release.
With the NPP party workers gone from the scene, Imkongtemjen looked around the area to take stock of the situation and found out that one of our party workers sustained major injuries and both of our vehicles also sustained damages.
“Subsequently, we first decided to tend to the wounded by taking the injured to Yisemyong Dispensary and giving him first aid. Even though his situation was grave that he needed medical attention at Mokokchung town, we decided to transfer the injured person to Mongsenyimti PHC.”
While all these things were going on, police personnel reached the spot around 11:30 am to 12:00 noon.
“After the police reached the spot, we also submitted our first hand account of the incident and we cancelled our trip to Mokokchung Town and returned to Mongsenyimti village,” Imkongtemjen said.
“Additionally, I’d like to state that there were only nine of us in two vehicles, whereas there were hundreds of NPP party workers. Lastly I would like to state that any temptation to mark the NDPP party workers as the aggressor is false and unfounded,” the press release said.
NPP candidate S Maongkaba Ozukum lodges FIR
Meanwhile, the NPP candidate, 24 Angetyongpang also filed an FIR on the same incident stating that “on Thursday, around 10:00 a.m, I left for Mokokchung from Mongsenyimti village”.
“About an hour later, I got a phone call that my supporters were being made to disburse from where they were staying at Mongsenyimti Village. Hearing this, I left for my Village and met them at Yisemyong,” he stated in the press release.
“My supporters were being chased by the supporters of NDPP Candidate Shri. Tongpang Ozukum. On reaching the spot, I went to meet the opposite party as we are all from the same village. “One Imkongtemjen, who was the leader and I discussed the issue and agreed to fall back from both sides. However, the agitating supporters from both sides continued verbal exchange. During this process, one Akumwabang from the opposite party i.e NDPP started physically assaulting my supporters which led to retaliation.
“In this commotion, stone pelting began and I was in the front while this incident was happening. Few of the stones were thrown towards me and my personal security guard, fearing danger of my life, was made to fire blank rounds from his service rifle because of which the mob disbursed for a few seconds and in the meantime, my second personal security guard took me to safety towards my car. My supporters also retreated from the scene so as to avoid further injuries and confrontation. In this commotion, one of my supporters left his alto car which was damaged and turned over. It is clear from their act that their intention was to cause injury to me and my supporters and they chased my supporters all the way to Yisemyong which is about 4 Kms away from my village.