AIZAWL, April 12 - Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga continued to lash out against largest-selling Mizo daily Vanglaini for the second day on Friday for incorrectly printed the party�s election symbol, which he said confused voters.
The newspaper created furore among Mizo National Front (MNF) supporters on Thursday, the day of Lok Sabha elections in the state. In the list of Lok Sabha candidates on the front page of the newspaper, it incorrectly printed the symbol of MNF candidate C Lalrosanga as �Sun�, instead of the correct symbol �Star�.
Zoramthanga was so infuriated by the blunder that he called it an �intentional mistake� to confuse Lalrosanga�s supporters.
�Because the editor of this newspaper is ZPM leader K Sapdanga, and its joint editor is ZPM and Congress joint candidate Lalnghinglova Hmar, this misinformation was printed with ill intention,� Zoramthanga had said on Thursday.
The matter took centrestage again on Friday at the party office Hnam Run, where Zoramthanga gave a one-hour speech.
�I strongly condemn Vanglaini for incorrectly printing the symbol of MNF with an attempt to confuse the voters when there was no time to make correction before election,� Zoramthanga said.
The newspaper�s joint editor Lalnghinglova Hmar is the biggest rival of MNF candidate Lalrosanga in this election. Hmar is contesting as an Independent and is supported by the Congress and the Zoram People�s Movement (ZPM).
Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ashish Kundra on Thursday said police would file a criminal case against the vernacular daily for publication of wrong information. The CEO said a show-cause notice was issued to Sapdanga as well as Hmar.
Kundra said Deputy Commissioner cum Returning Officer Vanlalngaihsaka has been instructed to take up the matter with the police. The Returning Officer has filed an FIR at the Aizawl Police Station.
Though the publisher and editor issued a public apology as sought by the Returning officer, the election commission decided to take further action.
Newmai News adds: The media cell of the ZPM and the Congress alliance on Friday slammed the ruling MNF for lodging a complaint against its candidate Lalnhihglova Hmar, over a �misprint� of the MNF party symbol in the daily.
Expressing disappointment over the show-cause notice served to Hmar, the ZPM-Congress joint publicity committee said that Hmar was neither the editor nor publisher of the newspaper and therefore has no responsibility over the �misprint�.
�While the complaint should have been filed only against the editor or the publisher, blaming the joint editor because he is a candidate is an instance of dirty politics and an attempt to not only mislead the people but also undermine the reputation of the joint editor,� the ZPM-Congress said.