Naxals Block Road With Felled Trees in Jharkhand, Ask Villagers Not To Vote

Naxals have put up felled trees at two places on the main road between Saranda forest and Hatnaburu-Marangponga. Also, pamphlets have been distributed asking villagers not to cast their votes.

Chaibasa:In a bid to disrupt the voting process, Naxalites have allegedly put up felled trees across a road in two place of Jharkhand's Saranda area to prevent voters from reaching the polling stations to cast their votes and also asked people not to vote through pamphlets.

The incident took place on the main rural road between Saranda forest under Chhotanagara police station and Hatnaburu-Marangponga of Digha Panchayat. Following which, traffic has come to a complete standstill while villagers have been left scared.

The felled trees have been put up in such a way that it has blocked the road completely while on the other side is either a deep ditch or river. The situation is such that even motorcycles cannot cross the road. The villagers thus have no other means to commute here.

Residents of Marangponga, Dikuponga, Usruiya, Holongoli, Baliba, Kumdih, Kudliabad and Kolayburu villages of Saranda cast their votes at polling stations in Sonapi. In order to reach the polling booths, villagers have to cross the main road that have been blocked at two places by the Naxalites

According to a villager, unless the felled trees are removed and the road is cleared, it is impossible to cross this stretch. People can neither reach the booths by a motorcycle nor a four-wheeler, he said.

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