TURA: Not all celebrations of the Republic day in Garo Hills went off smoothly as minor glitches marred the initial proceedings of the programme at Williamnagar where an over-zealous administrator prevented a group of politicians from taking the front row seat citing the election model code of conduct.
The former chief executive member of GHADC and current Williamnagar MDC Denang T Sangma along with former Congress legislator from Songsak Tonsing N Marak, former Congress MDC Hayward N Marak and a senior citizen of Williamnagar Arthur K Sangma had gone to attend the official function at Rongrenggre field in Williamnagar when they were told by a magistrate on the orders of the deputy commissioner to vacate their seats in the front row.
“We had gone as citizens of Garo Hills to celebrate our country’s Republic Day and seeing the empty front row took the seats when a magistrate came up and asked us to vacate citing election rules. We did not violate any protocol because as per the model code a politician cannot unfurl the national tricolor in any official function when elections are announced. It does not bar us from taking a seat in the front row which in this case was even empty,” said a disappointed Denang T Sangma.
He clarified that even during previous elections politicians had attended Republic day celebrations seated in front rows without having to face such a humiliation.
Asked to move out of the front row, the four upset men left the venue without attending the celebrations.
The aggrieved men were contemplating to lodge a complaint with the chief election officer of the state when the deputy commissioner, Ram Kumar, spoke to them late evening to apologizs for the ‘misunderstanding’.
