Elections 2014: Cases against Congress, BJP activists for 'discouraging' voters

DEHRADUN: In the first such action of its kind, the Munshyari town administration has registered a case against four BJP and Congress activists for having "discouraged people from voting".

The turnout in Badni and Jaidunga villages of Pithoragarh was unusually low, and the administration believes these four men were responsible for it.

Infuriated villagers have decided to protest against the cases at the SDM's office on Tuesday.

Of the four, Ratan Singh Negi and Radhe Shayam Joshi are BJP activists while Dhan Singh and Kunwar Singh are Congress supporters.

Kunwar Singh, who is a former gram pradhan, said, "We have been falsely implicated. The villagers had decided not to vote for any party after a boy had drowned while crossing over Gori river on a makeshift bridge just two days before polling day. People were angry that the state government had not constructed a proper concrete bridge after the old one was swept away in the June disaster last year."

Pesident of Gori Paar Sangharsh Smiti, Ganga Singh, said only eight villagers from Bandhni village of 1200 people and 23 from Jaldunga of 1800 voted.

"People here are living harrowing life. Earlier, people would shop for groceries and other basic items from Munsiyari and come back by evening. Now, it takes them two days and extra expenditure of Rs 1200 for carrying the items on a hired mule through a long route."

However, Pithoragarh DM HC Semwal expressed ignorance about the cases and said he will look into the matter.

CPI (ML) district secretary Jagat Martoliya claimed that the cases were registered at the behest of Congress MLA Harish Dhami.

"The villagers have been given constitutional right not to vote for any party under NOTA. In many constituencies of Garhwal, Champavat and others, people boycotted the election but no case was registered against them. Instead of exercising that right at the polling booths, people here did so from their homes. The bureaucrats, who are working at the behest of Dhami, should be dismissed for intimidating and mentally harassing the villagers. My party has sent a memorandum to Chief Election Officer in this regard," he said.

However, Dhami said, "My opponents have designed the entire plot to malign me. I spoke to the SDM about withdrawing the cases and I am also going to discuss it with the chief minister."