Sainiks attack NCP, Congress activists

MUMBAI, SEPT 11: The North-East Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a low-key voting except for two incidents of attack on activists of the ...

MUMBAI, SEPT 11: The North-East Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a low-key voting except for two incidents of attack on activists of the Nationalist Congress Party NCP and the Congress by Shiv Sainiks in Trombay and Chembur respectively on Saturday.

According to the first information report FIR lodged at Chembur police station, over 100 members of the Shiv Sena led by the shakha pramukh, Hanuman Parab, targeted the NCP and Congress workers who had set up several enquiry booths for the benefit of voters in the two areas.

Later in the evening, NCP workers staged a dharna outside Chembur police station.

8220;At around 1.30 pm, I saw Hanuman Parab of shakha number 179 and his boys suddenly descended on us and ordered us to close down all our enquiry booths. Before we could react, some Sainiks slapped and kicked me,8221; said Baban Kamble, an NCP Party worker from Chembur.

He further claimed that the Sainiks also broke several chairs and tables at Khardev Nagar, Vaibhav Nagar and Ghatla in Chembur andthreatened all the workers, including women to leave and go home8217;.

8220;The Sena hooligans also beat up two other NCP workers, though no one was seriously injured. However, this act of violence has terrified the public, especially those in favour of NCP,8221; said another party worker, Ratnakar Gawar.According to PSI Ravi Gidde of Chembur police station apart from Hanuman Parab, the FIR also mentions the names of around 30 other Shiv Sainiks.

Another NCP worker Rajan Maulkar of Khardev alleged that though the incident happened in front of the police posted on election duty in the area, none came forward to stop the Sainiks. 8220;The police merely told us to lodge a complaint at the chowky,8221; he alleged.

Story continues below this ad

However, the Sena camp in the same area had a different version about the incident. Sena workers claimed that NCP workers broke a table and few chairs in their booth and as proof, they pointed at a lone plastic chair with a broken leg kept in one corner. However, none of the Sainiks came forward to be quoted onrecord.

While it was NCP in Chembur, the same group of Sainiks reportedly targeted Congress workers in Deonar village. Lok Sabha candidate Gurudas Kamat8217;s election agent Amarjit Manhas said: 8220;Our worker Devram Kini has lodged an NC number 2050/99 at Trombay police station after the Sainiks tried to terrorise our workers there. While a few chairs and tables were broken, the Sainiks also threatened the Congress workers in Deonar.8221; Manhas added that the Congress has also complained to the returning officer about the incident.

For the first time, the electronic voting machines EVMs were used in the 2300 booths in the North-East constituency. 8220;The EVMs are much more easier than the elaborate and confusing ballot papers,8221; said Pradip Pathare, a resident of Mata Ramabai Nagar in Ghatkopar E.