A polling booth at Idiginatha village in Hanur taluk of Chamarajnagar was attacked by villagers and set on fire the Electronic Voting Machine among other equipment using fuel at the polling booth on Friday.
Chamarajnagar was one among 14 Lok Sabha seats which went for voting in Karnataka and the reason for the villagers' drastic step to attack the polling booth was allegedly over police lathicharge on them. The police had taken to lathicharge the villagers of Idiginatha and Manadre who were engaged in an argument near the polling station.
Condemning lathi charge on them, the irate villagers hurled stones at Tahsildhar Guruprasad, Inspector Jagadeesh, Panchayat Development Officer Kiran, polling official Mary among a couple of police personnel leading to injuries in them.
It is said that the residents of Idiginatha and Mandatre villages were engaged in an argument near the polling station 146 at Idiginatha village and police took to canning the arguing villagers to disperse the villagers from gathering near the polling station.
The canning action of the police led to villagers going on a rampage and they set on fire the EVMs at the polling station and other equipment inside the polling station. Later, they pelted stones at the officials concerned who had come to the village.
On Friday, voters of Idginatha and Mandare village had threatened to boycott voting owing to lack of basic amenities at their village especially drinking water. Learning about the voting boycott, officials concerned visited the Mandare village to convince voters to take part in the voting. About 9 voters casted their votes at the polling station after being convinced by the officials concerned.
Meanwhile, villagers of Idiginatha village learnt about the participation of Mandare villagers in the voting and entered into an argument near the polling station. To disperse the villagers, police to lathicharge them.
The police action against the villagers did not go well with them and the villagers gathered at the spot and attacked the polling station, setting fire to EVM and other equipment at the booth. They took to stone pelting the officials concerned to register their protest over the lathicharge.
It is said that a police constable came under assault from the irate villagers who slapped him at their will. The injured were treated at a nearby hospital.
