Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The voters from the Muslims community were assaulted by some anti-social elements in order to prevent them from casting their votes in the by-polls of Manglaur assembly constituency in Uttarakhand.
A few videos showing the Muslim men injured, stained in a pool of blood have gone viral from the Libberheri village.
Talking to reporters, an eyewitness said that he saw some people there, whose faces were covered and they were armed with sticks.
“They opened fire in front of me, I am witness to it. I was also pushed around by those elements. Some members of the Muslim community got injured. They were clearly attempting to prevent them from casting their votes,” he said.
“This is sheer hooliganism,” said the witness, who is a local resident.
According to reports, Haji Shakil and Haji Tauqeer were seriously got injured. The victims are said to be the supporters of Congress candidate Qazi Nizamuddin.
Talking about the incident, Nizamuddin described the incident as the murder of the democracy.
“I reached there within half an hour. There were four-five people present but no one took the injured to the hospital. We are telling the names of those who opened fire, but no one is listening in this andheri nagri,” said Nizamuddin in a video that he shot, while taking an injured person to the hospital.
However, Haridwar police refused to confirm that gunfire was shot, asserting that the situation is now normal.
“There was a tense situation resulting in a clash. We are gathering information about injuries and their causes. We still cannot confirm how did it began. However, sufficient force is deployed. The situation is peaceful now and the election process is going on smoothly,” Swapan Kishor, Haridwar SP (rural) was quoted by Indian Express as saying.
Voting is currently underway for bypolls in Uttarakhand’s Manglaur and Badrinath assembly constituencies.
The by-election for the Manglaur seat has to be held after Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari passed away last October. The BSP has fielded Ansari’s son, Ubedur Rehman against Congress candidate Qazi Nizamuddin, a senior party leader who has won the seat three times previously. The BJP has fielded Kartar Singh Bhadana for the Manglaur seat, which the party has never won since Uttarakhand became a separate state.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders held a demonstration at the office of the SP in Roorkee against the incident. In the office of the SP, former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat blamed the BJP leader for carrying out the firing incident.
“Whatever is happening is a matter of concern for democracy and Uttarakhand. Bullets were fired to stop weak people, voters of Congress. People have been injured. Such kind of incidents are also being reported from Mandawali. Congress voters are being intimidated, stopped from reaching the booths. It is murder of democracy and worrisome. I urge people to support us in saving the democracy. People want to vote but are intimidated. It is a very serious situation,” said former Uttarakhand CM and Congress leader Harish Rawat in a video statement.
