Tension prevailed at the mini-civil station premises here for about an hour on Wednesday following the Left Democratic Front’s allegation that A.Abdul Harris, manager at the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Sales Tax, manipulated a few postal ballots produced before him for his signature.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretariat member A.Padmakumar alleged that Mr. Harris manipulated the ballots brought before him for his signature before sending them to the returning officer.
Mr Padmakumar alleged that a Democratic Youth Federation of India worker saw the official ‘manipulating’ the postal ballots.
Official’s claim
However, Mr. Harris clarified that he was signing on the form to accompany the ballots and the covers carrying the ballots were opened by the miscreants who barged into his office.
Mr. Harris fainted inside the office following the melee. The issue soon developed into an altercation between the leaders of the LDF and the United Democratic Front when District Congress Committee president P.Mohanraj came there to shift the official to the General Hospital. Mr Harris is an office-bearer of a Congress-led employees union.
The police later shifted Mr. Harris to the hospital.
