Imphal, Mar 1 (IANS): Congress candidate in Manipur's Saitu Assembly constituency candidate Dr Lamtinthang Haokip was arrested "without any reason", party leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Monday night.

The FIR was filed in the New Keithelmanbi Polling Station in Kangpokpi district against the Congress candidate who was charged with assault of a public servant from discharge of his duty.

Taking on Twitter Ramesh wrote : "INC Candidate from 51-Saitu Dr Lamtinthang Hk was arrested unjustly when he went to New Keithelmanbi Polling stn to ensure free and fair elections, to stop BJP from malpractices. We demand his unconditional and immediate release ! This is murder of democracy by Union Home Minister and CM."

However, election officials and the police refused to make any comments saying that the probe is on.

Haokip's chief agent Andrew Gangmei in a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agrawal said that the BJP candidate (Ngamthang Haokip), along with his henchmen, were indulging in booth capturing and proxy voting in front of the presiding officer and the returning officer at New Keithelmanbi Polling Station.

The Congress candidate, on hearing of the malpractices, immediately rushed to the spot. "During a scuffle somebody smashed the Electronic Voting Machine. The polling officials instead of trying to control the situation aggravated it by instigating some of the BJP supporters that led to a melee. The polling officials were found to be biased for reasons best known to them, in favour of the BJP candidate which is unbecoming of a polling official. That, the polling officials at the behest of the BJP Candidate filed an FIR against our Candidate," Gangmei said in his letter and demanded release of Haokip.