DIMAPUR — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Ward No. 7 of the Dimapur Municipal Council has accused the National People’s Party (NPP) of orchestrating a campaign of intimidation against its members and supporters during the ongoing election campaign.
The BJP issued a press statement on Monday, a few days after a scuffle reportedly broke out between supporters of the two parties at the residence of Nikali Sumi Chophi, the NPP candidate for Ward-7, on June 21.
The NPP had claimed that the BJP supporters ‘forcefully’ entered Chophi’s residential premises, leading to a physical altercation between supporters of the two parties.
However, the BJP on Monday hit back, alleging that it was the NPP workers and supporters who were targeting and resorting to all means of tactics to provoke and intimidate the BJP workers and supporters.
“Time and again, the NPP workers and supporters of Ward No. 7 have hurled allegations after allegations at BJP workers and supporters, whereas it was the NPP workers who have been constantly trying to create an atmosphere of fear psychosis in the minds of the electorates by threatening the voters not to vote for the BJP,” read the statement.
The BJP, Ward No. 7, went on to state that the NPP has gone to the extent of “forcefully preventing the BJP workers and supporters from going door to door campaign”.
“On June 23 as well, two of BJP yuva karyakartas were physically humiliated by NPP supporters besides entering the private residences of BJP workers including the residence of one of the mahila karyakartas on the same day and threatened them with dire consequences if they are to be seen outside their house,” the party claimed.
Despite possessing evidence to support their claims, the BJP maintained that it had exercised restraint in order to maintain peace in the ward. “It has come to a situation where every single electorate in Ward feels threatened,” it added.
Accordingly, the BJP was left with no option but to file an FIR against certain NPP supporters for harassing two BJP yuva karyakartas on June 23 at Chhateswari colony, it said, while appealing to the district administration and the law enforcing agency to take appropriate action on the matter.
‘The BJP believes in and adheres to the democratic process of electioneering, and in doing so, the BJP of Ward No. 7 under Dimapur Municipal Council have put in best of its efforts to ensure peaceful conduct of election in the ward,’ it maintained.
Also read: Scuffle erupts between NPP, BJP supporters in Dimapur Ward 7