Pre-Poll Violence: NDPP and NPP supporters in Angetyongpang AC engage in stone pelting

Mokokchung, February 23 (MTNews): A stone pelting incident at Angetyongpang Assembly Constituency in an area near Yisemyong along NH-2 occurred on Thursday reportedly between supporters of the NDPP and the NPP candidates. However, there were contrasting reports about the incident from both parties involved.

The NDPP Media Cell, Mokokchung unit issued a press release alleging that party workers of NDPP candidate, Tongpang Ozukum were “ambushed” by the supporters of NPP candidate S Maongkaba Ozukum and “subjected to gunshots while traveling from Mongsenyimti Village to Mokokchung Town.”

Following the incident, Imkongtemjen, an NDPP party worker filed an FIR at Police Station-1 Mokokchung “on behalf of all the victims” alleging that as they were making their way to Mokokchung Town from Mongsenyimti village around noon, “a group of persons seated in their respective vehicles belonging to the supporters of NPP candidate, S. Maongkaba Ozukum intercepted our vehicles from both ends of the road and first started pelting stones at us and later on fired bullets at us.”

“After this chain of assaults meted at us by them, the unidentified persons scrammed to their respective vehicles and ran away. At this juncture, while running away, an alto Ix car (NL 03 5161) belonging to the attackers was unable to escape and flipped over, the attackers were able to ran away without being noticed,” the FIR read.

Both parties giving contradictory statements: Police

According to a police source, the NPP candidate was on his way back to his village Mongsenyimti from Mokokchung Town when the opposing parties met and came into close proximity which then led to the altercation. The police said that the incident happened at around 11:30 AM on Thursday.

The police rushed to the site of the incident to take stock of the situation and took statements from both the parties involved. However, police said that both parties gave contradictory statements on the same incident necessitating further investigation which is ongoing.

With regards to the firing incident, the police told Mokokchung Times that the armed security guard provided to the NPP candidate drew blank fire to disperse the crowd. “The NDPP candidate was in the middle of the scuffle and in the condition of danger, and so the candidate’s bodyguard assessed the situation and fired his gun,” the police said, adding that no one was injured in the firing.

According to the statements taken at the site of the incident, a person from the NDPP candidate’s party was reportedly injured while multiple vehicles were damaged on both sides due to the stone pelting, the police said.

Angetyongpang NPP candidate clarifies on Feb 23 incident

National Peoples’ Party (NPP) candidate for 24 Angetyongpang AC, S Maongkaba Ozüküm has condemned the incident that happened at Tsürangmen Colony in Yisemyong claiming that it was uncalled for.

Narrating the incident to the media personnel during a press briefing at District NPP Office on Thursday evening, the NPP candidate stated that after reaching Mokokchung from Mongsenyimti Village from where he was based in, and upon receiving information about his supporters not being allowed to stay inside Mongsenyimti Village, the candidate along with two bodyguards allotted to him moved towards the village to oversee the situation during which he met his supporters and the “opposite party” involved in verbal altercations at Tsürangmen Colony, Yisemyong.

“Meeting one of the leaders from the opposite party and having a cordial talk, at one time it was coming to quite a good understanding,” Ozüküm stated, adding that they tried to pacify the situation where both the party supporters were having verbal exchanges.

“In this commotion from their side, there was one person called Akumwapang, he came straight and started assaulting my supporters,” Ozüküm said. “In this commotion… my supporters also started physical assault after which stone pelting started,” he added.

The candidate stated that his bodyguard upon sensing danger of his well being fired blank shots in the air because the proximity of the assault was right in front of him, adding that what is being circulated in social media is completely wrong. “They are saying that I fired, it was my personal security guard who blank-fired in the air to get me out of danger… if that would not have happened, definitely I would have got seriously hurt,” he said.

Referring to the damaged vehicles of the “opposite party,” he said, “Of course the gypsy got damaged and it could be during the stone pelting, that I can say that because everyone was throwing stones from all different angles.”

“After escaping from the spot and reaching the Longkong Junction, we came across Observers and explained the situation to them who further went down to the spot to oversee the situation. After waiting for a long time we went back to the spot and waited for the Mokokchung SP and gave statement,” he said.

“It is very clear from the incident that what they are saying is wrong and what really happened is not as what they say. The question of they saying I am the one doing it is very wrong… in fact if need be, I will give complaint against them because this statements that they are making is very wrong,” he further said, adding, “… its politics but what is right has to be said, we cannot deviate from the truth.”

Regarding a vehicle with NPP signs being toppled as seen in the viral video, the candidate said that the driver of the said car could not get to it because of the commotion and had to leave the scene in another vehicle. “It was not an accident but it was toppled,” he claimed.

Regarding why his supporters were not allowed to stay in the village, he said, “My supporters are from different parts of the state,” we have gathered together and stayed at one particular place, it is not a “Kimen,” he added.

“The council came and said: you cannot stay like this, you have to disperse or else the youth of the village will do whatever is necessary,” the candidate narrated, saying that it was the directives his supporters received when he was en-route to Mokokchung.

“Whatever the court has stated, the judgment that free and fair election should be observed in 24 Angetyongpang, they are violating the order,” he alleged.

“We will be going in because we have to exercise our franchise; but we will go in only when the authorities give us a clear signal that we can go in and no harm is done to us,” the candidate maintained.