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A man vying for the mukhiya's post and two of his supporters have been booked for pro-Pakistan slogans allegedly raised in a procession in Giridih when he was on his way to file nomination papers for the coming Jharkhand rural poll, the police said on Thursday.
Supporters of Mohammed Shakir Hussain (45), the panchayat poll candidate from Dokodih panchayat, allegedly raised 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans when they accompanied him to the election office on Wednesday, the police said.
As a video of it went viral on the social media, the police swung into action.
"We have arrested the mukhiya candidate Mohammed Shakir and his two supporters, Asif and Sohaib, on charges of spreading hatred in society and violating the model code of conduct,” Giridih Sadar sub-divisional police officer Anil Kumar Singh told PTI.
The three will be sent to jail on Thursday after completing some procedures such as Covid test, he said.
The process for filing nomination papers for the first phase of the panchayat election in Jharkhand began in 72 blocks of 21 districts of the state from April 16.
As many as 1,127 panchayats will go to the poll in the first phase on May 14 and counting will take place on May 17.
Altogether 6,267 candidates have so far filed nomination papers for the first round for the post of mukhiyas and members of the panchayat samiti, zilla parishad and gram panchayat members. The nomination for the first round will conclude on April 23.
On Wednesday the process for the second phase of polls started in 50 blocks under 16 districts. A total of 872 panchayats will go to the polls in the second phase on May 19 to elect 103 zilla parishad members, 1,059 panchayat samiti members, 872 mukhiyas and 10,614 panchayat members, officials said.
The Jharkhand State Election Commission on April 9 announced the four-phase rural poll in the state between May 14 and May 27.