Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate for the Brahmapur lok Sabha seat Dhanada Kant Mishra was allegedly assaulted by security personnel at a booth in Parlakhemundi on Thursday. The party later complained to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mona Sharma to take stringent action against the security personnel for manhandling Mishra.
According to reports, Mishra in the morning had gone to booths 180 and 181 in Parlakhemundi of Gajapati district to observe the polling process. Reaching there, he found a huge hoarding of the BJD fixed at the opposite to the polling booth gate. He immediately registered a complaint to the Observer of the Election Commission at around 7.30 am.
While Mishra returned after some time, he found that the hoarding was still not removed. He went inside the booth after showing his ID card and complained to the Presiding Officer, who responded and deputed one of his staff to remove the
hoarding.
Outside the gate of the booth, while accompanying the polling staff, suddenly a team of CRPF officials of 127 Battalion came to Mishra and allegedly abused him for entering into the booth. Though he showed his ID card saying he was permitted to approach any booth in the constituency, the CRPF jawans didn’t listen to him and manhandled him.
Mishra then approached the local police station IIC PK Behera to register an FIR, but the IIC point blank refused to accept the
complaint.
“It is a burning example of violation of human rights and police excess on the common man,” said a Press release
issued by the AAP.
AAP State convener Nishikant Mohapatra demanded that the Election Commission take appropriate action against the CRPF officers after conducting an investigation.