IMPHAL, November 9: Supporters of an aspiring candidate of Lilong Haoreibi College students’ union election today went berserk in the college destroying the Principal’s room and administrative block following rejection of nomination paper of a candidate of the college student union’s election today.
The nomination was rejected during scrutiny today following the Principal’s advice.
A huge police presence was needed to thwart off anymore disturbances in the college, however matters regarding the college election cannot be solved.
Students from the incident site said that scrutiny of nomination papers started since this morning 10:30am.
After scrutiny of nomination papers for secretaries were completed, the scrutiny of general secretary candidates was done last.
Three candidates identified as HM Farid B Sc 1st Semester, Md Yusuf Ali, BA 5th Semester and Nongjaimayum Jaher, BA 3rd Semesterhad filed their nomination for the general secretary post.
Students said during filling of nomination for candidature, one of the aspiring candidates for general secretary HM Farid found “021” against his roll no on his nomination paper, while it should have been just “21”.
However the Returning Officer Jafre received the nomination saying that the “0” can be cancelled using a red ink pen. Soon after it was announced that the nomination has been rejected following an advice from the college Principal Md Khallilur Rehman, the students said.
The announcement angered the supporters of HM Farid. The students turned violent only after the Principal fled from the college during the commotion.
The students turned violent and took the computer set, tables, chairs, almirah and other furnitures from the Principal’s room and threw them into a pond.
The students further went to the administrative block and took out all the student files, documents, furnitures and started tearing and threw the things into the pond.
Further damaged was averted with the arrival of a strong police force, however, the angered students and the election committee were unable to bring any solution to the issue till late in the evening.
Speaking to IFP, aspiring candidate HM Farid said there was nothing wrong with his nomination paper except for a “0” before his roll no.
However the RO had already accepted the papers saying that the “0” could be deleted however it was announced that it could not be accepted.
He continued that he had taken photocopies of all his documents, however after he had submitted the said photocopies, the RO is now saying that it has been lost and he is unable to find it, which angered his supporters more, he added.
He further charged that the incident has been incited by the Principal and the Election Committee to stop the student union’s election.
He also charged that during last year’s election, the Principal has feigned that the election documents have been forcibly taken by unidentified armed persons and stop the election.
He further declared that unless the college authority conducts the scrutiny for the general secretary, the students will take up further agitations and that the RO, Election Committee and the Principal of the college should be terminated from service.