Shillong, April 10: A showcause notice has been served to the Voice of the People Party (VPP) by the Returning Officer of the Shillong Parliamentary seat, SC Sadhu, regarding an attempt by party supporters to disrupt an election campaign/meeting organized by the National Peoples’ Party (NPP) at Jaiaw, East Khasi Hills District.
The showcause notice, addressed to the VPP chief, Ardent Millier Basaiawmoit, states that VPP supporters resorted to sloganeering and thus disrupted the meeting, causing its premature cancellation.
“Now, therefore, giving you an opportunity to be heard, you are hereby directed to show cause on or before April 12,” the RO stated.
“Whereas, with the announcement of the schedule of General Election to Lok Sabha- 2024 by the Election Commission of India vide Press Note dated 16.03.2024, the Model Code of Conduct comes into operation with immediate effect from 16.03.2024,” Sadhu said.
The RO also stated that the Model Code of Conduct guidelines for political parties and candidates state that, ‘Political parties and candidates shall ensure that their supporters do not create obstructions or disrupt meetings and processions organized by other parties. Workers or sympathizers of one political party shall not create disturbances at public meetings organized by another political party by putting questions orally or in writing or by distributing leaflets of their own party. Processions shall not be taken out by one party along places at which meetings are held by another party. Posters issued by one party shall not be removed by workers of another party’.
The VPP supporters disrupted an election meeting of the NPP at Jaiaw Pdeng on Monday evening. As soon as the NPP meeting started, opposition supporters on two-wheelers shouted VPP slogans “Ha u Prah” while former MLA and NPP state working president, Hameltson Dohling, was addressing the campaign. When volunteers went to confront the opposition supporters, a minor scuffle arose, leading to the meeting ending abruptly before the scheduled timing.
A similar incident occurred later that day, in which opposition supporters shouted VPP slogans at an NPP meeting in Umsning. A clash broke out between the two groups of supporters, and police officials had to intervene before the incident escalated.
