SHILLONG, APR 9: National People’s Party (NPP) state president and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday said the party will lodge a complaint before the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) to ensure peaceful campaigning during the elections.
While, referring to the scuffle at Umsning, Ri Bhoi, where some inebriated VPP supporters went to the NPP public meeting and started shouting HA U PRAH which has resulted to a heated argument, the NPP Meghalaya President termed the Voice of the People’s Party (VPP)’s attempt to disrupt the party’s election campaigns as a “desperate act.”
“We have to bring to the notice of the ECI as this kind of disturbance we don’t like to happen as you don’t know, especially the public meeting in the evening. Anything may happen. Any incident which is unwarranted may happen. Therefore, we will lodge a complaint and we will request the election commission to step in and to make sure that fair square campaign and election be held in the state of Meghalaya,” Tynsong said.
“I don’t know why these people look so desperate. Is it because they know that they are losing or I don’t know for what, why should they act very desperately like this? Their behaviour says like that,” he said.
The NPP leader further said he is witnessing for the first time ever such kinds of things happening in Meghalaya because in the past years, MP elections are held peacefully.
“This time it is very unfortunate specially the members of the VPP look so desperate, the way they disturb wherever the public meeting is held I think it is totally unwanted,” he said.
Appealing to all political parties to refrain from such unacceptable activities, Tynsong said, “Let us make sure the dignity of the state is more important than anything else. Let the election campaign go on peacefully. Whoever wants to vote for whom we leave it to the wisdom of the voters.”
To the voters, he said, “My request to all voters not only in Shillong parliamentary constituency but also in Tura parliamentary constituency, we maintain peace, we maintain our decorum and we should also maintain our dignity too.”
Meanwhile, Tynsong, who is also holding charge of the Home (Police), has directed the Director General Police (DGP) and SPs not to allow disruption of meetings by political parties.
“We have instructed the police force. From the state government side we have our own say on this and the direction has been given and I have told the DGP and respective SPs to be alert and also not to allow such disturbances to happen while campaigning. Any party or any candidate wherever they go for campaigning after due allotment made by ECI means nobody should disrespect, nobody should come in between to disturb such a campaign of any candidate that we have,” he said.