Kathmandu, April 6:

The Election Commission has directed the Home Ministry and local administration to probe a number of cases of violence, which have occurred in several districts in recent days, and punish the culprits.

Pointing at the attack on an election staffer in Dhanding by cadres of the pro-Maoist Young Communist League, the EC said it has directed local administration to immediately arrest and punish the attackers.

Principal of the Katarpauwa Goganpani Pre-primary School Ram Hari Thapa, who was deputed at the Chamanpur polling centre, was injured when a group led by YCL cadre Jhilke Thapa attacked him on April 3, EC spokesman Laxman Bhattarai said at a press conference.

The EC has directed the CPN-Maoist not to let its activists resort to such attacks.

The EC has also directed the Home administration to probe the abduction of Rastriya Janamorcha candidate from Rolpa Hasta Mani Pun by the Maoists. The EC has directed the administration to trace Pun and bring the culprits to book. It has also asked the Kavre district administration office to investigate the “attack on Rastriya Janshakti Party candidate from Kavre-1 Suku Maya Tamang by Maoist cadres”.

The EC has also asked the district administration of Jajarkot, Bara and Palpa to initiate action against Maoist activists, who have “abducted and threatened people to vote for their party”. It has asked the Maoist to furnish clarification on these cases.

The EC has sought clarification from the Solukhumbu district administration regarding its alleged dereliction of duty that led to a clash between NC and Maoist activists at Sisakhola area of Tapting VDC.

It has asked the Parsa district administration office to come up with an explanation on the alleged looting by a police team led by an SP at the residence of RPP candidate from Parsa-1 Bimal Shrivastav.

The EC has also asked NC candidate Dip Kumar Upadhyay from Kapilvastu 1 to explain why he used four Indian vehicles with loudspeakers. NC candidate from Kapilvastu 4 Birendra Kumar Kanaudiya has also been asked to clarify why he, violating the poll code, pasted posters in his constituency.

The EC has also taken the Maoists to task over a media report that has accused the Maoists in Dadeldhura of driving out around 100 NC activists.

Check unwanted movement: EC

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission has directed police administration not to let “unidentified” persons from one constituency enter another constituency on the voting day. “The police administration has been directed to take under control any suspected person, who enters another constituency, investigate the case and send back the person to his constituency,” EC spokesman Laxman Bhattarai said. Bhattarai said this move was aimed at averting untoward incidents during the polling day. The EC has also appealed to all voters to remain in their constituencies to cast their ballots. It has also called upon all Nepal Red Cross and all other organisations to provide humanitarian assistance such as drinking water and first aid to the voters at the polling centres on April 10. — HNS