Magistrate bars politicians from sitting on front row

TURA: An over-zealous administrator prevented a group of politicians from taking the front row seat at a Republic Day function in Williamnagar citing the election model code of conduct.
The former chief executive member of GHADC and current Williamnagar MDC Denang T Sangma, 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 Republic Day and seeing the empty front row took the seats when a magistrate came 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 tricolour 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.
He clarified that even during the previous elections, politicians had attended Republic day celebrations seated in front rows without having to face such 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 lodging a complaint with the state chief electoral officer when the deputy commissioner, Ram Kumar, spoke to them late in the evening to apologise for the “misunderstanding”.