Dr Lamtinthang sets record straight on ‘unlawful’ arrest
Imphal: Claiming that lapses and negligence were witnessed in the first phase of 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly Election with respect to 51-Saitu (ST) Assembly Constituency, INC candidate from the constituency Dr Lamtinthang Haokip alleged that voters slips were snatched by armed militants under Suspension of Operation (SoO) from the villagers on February 27 and his supporters were not even allowed to enter within the premises of the polling area on the polling day.
Briefing media persons, Dr Lamtinthang Haokip said that proxy voting was rampant as the snatched voter slips were used to vote a particular candidate and reacting to the malpractices, the assigned INC polling agents submitted a complaint to the Presiding Officer. However, the polling officer was not ready to register the complaint. The polling agent had to submit the second complaint while he was forced to stay inside the polling area and was not even allowed to leave.
The INC candidate said that he rushed to New Keithelmanbi after receiving the news of the incidents while he was visiting Bongmol Polling Station. He said that on reaching the spot, he was also denied entry into the polling area even after showing his ID card. He said that he was allowed entry only after being detained for about a few minutes after which he looked for the presiding officer to complain about the malpractices but he was nowhere to be found. There were angry mobs breaking into the polling station where the EVM was also unfortunately destroyed, he added.
Clarifying that he was not responsible for the ruckus and breaking of the EVM, Dr Lamtinthang said that the ruckus might have been created by angry villagers whose voters’ slips were snatched or the people who were denied their voting rights. He mentioned that it could have been an attempt by the BJP supporters to malign his image as the same can be checked from the footage of CCTV camera installed in the polling station.
He also alleged that while he was trying to leave the premises, one of the CAPF personnel stopped him and threatened to shoot him if he left the premises leaving him furious and confused as to why the security personnel, instead of controlling the mob, threatened to shoot him.
He said that New Keithelmanbi Police picked him up and took him to New Keithelmanbi Police Station and then brought to Imphal Police Station through an FIR filed in New Keithelmanbi Police Station.
Asking under whose direction he was brought to Imphal Police Station, the INC candidate contended that all these unlawful activities were pre-planned and carried out at the behest of a BJP candidate in the presence and under the guidance of Haopu Haokip, son of a BJP candidate and Hemkholen Haokip, who is an Assistant Teacher under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and currently a research scholar in NEHU, Shillong.
Further claiming that Officer-in-Charge of New Keithelmanbi Police Station was seen and heard talking to the BJP candidate through the mobile phone of Haopu, Dr Lamtinthang requested the concerned authorities to take up the matter seriously and take swift action against the perpetrators of law in the interest of the public to protect and uphold democratic values of the State in particular and country as a whole.
He also thanked leaders of AICC, MPCC, friends, families and supporters from every nook and corner for all the untiring efforts extended to him.
