Newmai News Network
Imphal: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Saturday urged chief electoral officer (CEO) of Manipur to take up necessary actions to ensure free and fair polls in the state, and also lodged a formal complaint regarding firing of gunshots to foil an election rally of the party in Bishnupur district on April 12.
On Saturday afternoon, armed miscreants fired some rounds of guns at a election campaign venue of Congress candidate Angomcha Bimol Akoijam from the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency at Phairenbam Leikai under Moirang police station of Bishnupur district.
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No injury was reported. However, the proposed public interaction programme which was a part of Congress election campaign was cancelled after the armed miscreants threatened the organizers and the crowd not to convene the meeting.
The Friday incident was not the first time in which armed miscreants fired gunshots at election campaign venues of the Congress candidates in the ensuing elections to the two Lok Sabha seats in Manipur.
Noting the matter seriously, a delegation of MPCC led by its president K Meghachandra today visited the office of the state CEO and lodged a formal complaint.
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In the complaint, the MPCC urged the concerned authorities to take up necessary legal actions against those anti-social elements and also security measures by deploying central armed police personnel in the entire valley areas.
It observed that the entire valley area would be hyper sensitive zones for the coming election as there are many reports from different sources for committing or organizing violence during the poll or in advance.
Talking to the reporters after lodging the complaint, AICC Manipur in-charge, Girish Chodankar said that after knowing that Indian National Congress is winning both seats in Manipur, some elements are using guns to create fear among the people and thus disturbing the campaigns.
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He said that they have already brought such incidents to the notice of the state CEO several times and requested to take measures to stop threats.
“We have also strongly demanded to ensure free and fair elections and not to allow miscreants to create an atmosphere of fear. I am confident people of Manipur, especially women will reply in ballots for bullets,” Chodankar said.
MPCC president K Meghachandra said that if the law and order is not maintained well before the poll dates, it will be difficult to conduct free and fair elections in the state.
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The voting for the two parliamentary seats in Manipur will take place on April 19 and 26 and the Congress has fielded its candidates in both the seats.
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