Noklak, March 1 (MTNews): The BJP party workers claimed that the poll in Noklak village was unfair because voters in the back of the line after 4:00 PM were given 20 tokens and allowed to vote multiple times even without tokens.
According to party workers, the remaining voters, who were mostly BJP members, were then denied the right to vote, and the EVM was shut down and removed.
They reported that there were between 70 and 80 voters in line to vote at the time. Following this, the BJP workers staged a protest outside the DC Office, which later turned violent.
Security personnel reportedly used tear gas and firearms to maintain law and order, and one of the protestors, L Tongpa, 33, was allegedly shot dead between 12 and 1 AM on Wednesday.
Following this, the BJP of 56 Noklak Assembly Constituency announced on Wednesday that the body of the man who died during the protest at Noklak DC’s office gate in Noklak Town will not be buried until its demand for re-poll at Polling Station No. 7, Noklak Village ‘A’ is met.
The party stated in a letter to the Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer that “the body will remain unburied as a sign of violation of the Election Code of Conduct by the Deputy Commissioner & District Election Officer until redressal and exemplary action is taken against the polling booth as null and void.”
Many party workers were also seriously injured by security personnel during the “undesirable situation,” according to the BJP of 56 Noklak AC.
The party unit has questioned the actions of the Presiding Officer of PS no. 7, Noklak village ‘A,’ who allegedly shut the door of the PS and hurried to the DC’s office with the EVM without obtaining necessary signatures from the party’s Polling Agents, resulting in genuine voters being unable to cast their votes on Monday, 27 February.
Meanwhile, Amos, late Tongpa’s elder brother, demanded answers from Deputy Commissioner Noklak on Wednesday evening, as his brother’s body lay at Local Ground outside the DC’s Office in Noklak Town.
“My brother is still lying at the Local Ground. We are demanding justice from the DC,” he was quoted by a local media, adding that they will take the body only if justice is granted.
According to Amos, his brother was shot from the back and the bullet exited from his front.
“He was spot dead at the local ground,” Amos stated.
The BJP expressed their grief over Tongpa’s death and stated that they will fight for what Tongpa had sacrificed.
Official reports on the deceased’s physical findings have yet to be released by either the medical or police departments.