Election related violence in Nagaland, miscreants ransack house in Mokokchung

In a suspected case of election-related violence, unidentified miscreants vandalised a house in the Mokokchung town of Nagaland on February 6. According to police sources, the incident took place in the Salangtem Ward at about 11:00 PM at night in which two persons were reportedly injured and the house ransacked. 

According to reports a candidate was supposed to camp at the house in Mokokchung after filing his nomination papers when the incident happened. Soon after the incident police rushed to the spot. Citing the statement of the victims, police said that over 20 masked miscreants overpowered 4 to 5 people who were in the house before ransacking and damaging the furniture and kitchenware. The two injured were rushed to the hospital. 

An FIR on the incident has been lodged and further investigation is on.Ear;ier in the day, The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) urged Nagaland DGP Rupin Sharma to ensure conduct of a free and fair election process for the ensuing assembly elections in the state.

The state Congress made the appeal anticipating unethical practices during elections.In a letter to the state police chief on February 7, NPCC communications department chairman Wezote Kreo  sought to point out that  the state reportedly topped the statistics in terms of voter turnout in the past few elections and said the reality appears to be the other way around.

The letter said newspapers and the social media handles of the state were filled with reports of various offences listed under the IPC like booth capturing, physical violence, forcefully removing minority voters from the line, snatching away of voters slips while queuing up to vote in spite of clear guidelines from the Election Commission.