Nagaland: Post-poll violence victim’s body won’t be buried until ECI probe, says BJP

L. Tongpa (33) is said to have been allegedly killed in police firing during a BJP protest in Nagaland's Noklak yesterday

Reported by Sarah Konyak

The body of L. Tongpa (33) who allegedly died in police firing during a protest in Nagaland’s Noklak yesterday would not be buried until the Election Commission of India (ECI) probe the matter, said state BJP issuing a statement today.

It may be mentioned here that, state BJP supporters were holding a protest near Noklak local ground at the DC gate demanding a re-poll for the 56th Noklak Assembly constituency yesterday night while the protest turned violent and police resorted to blank firing which resulted in the death of L. Tongpa injuring several party workers, said BJP.

The party demanded that the matter be taken seriously and that either their demand for a re-poll be considered, or that the vote cast at polling station 7 Noklak village-A on February 27, 2023, be declared null and void.

The BJP statement further said, ” The body of murdered victim will remain unburied as a sign of volition of 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. The party shall not be held responsible for any further eventualities on the failure of the authorities to address the petition.”

It may be mentioned here that BJP Party Agents Noklak on February 27, has submitted a written complaint against the malpractices of the presiding officer at 7 Polling Station Noklak- A for not allowing the genuine voters to cast their ballots despite waiting all day at the polling station and the presiding officer shut down the door and run away in hurry along with the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) to Deputy Commissioner’s Office Noklak without obtaining the polling agent’s signatures.

The party said that it was surprised to see that the complaint petition filed by the party for re-polling was not taken up to the appropriate authority by the District Election Office Noklak and the Deputy Commissioner & District Election Officer forwarded the letter only Yesterday (February 28) at around 10.22 Pm. “The lapse of 24 hrs is a pure case of bias and political inclination,” said BJP.

Yesterday, when it was found that the re-poll for the constituency had not been listed in the ECI notification, the furious protest began.

Also Read: Post-poll violence in Nagaland: One dead in Noklak

Copy edited by Lipika Roy

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