Our Reporter
Dimapur, March 20 (EMN): A day after the Nagaland police had told Eastern Mirror that the Voters Party International (VPI) chief, Vishwatma was running a ‘fraudulent business’, the secretary of the ‘all India committee of VPI’, Shivakant Gorakhpuri refuted the allegation and termed the arrest ‘illegal and politically motivated’.
According to Gorakhpuri, the arrest had no legal grounds and the allegations were ‘baseless, imaginary and could be politically motivated by the ruling party in Nagaland’.
“This is not a fraud party and we have proof that many members of parliament have also signed petitions for the new law of votership,” said Gorakhpur and claimed that prominent people from the Modi government had also signed the petition, ‘which include Kiren Rijiju, Vijay Kumar Malhotra and others’.
He further maintained that the refundable donation receipts (RDR) were proof of genuine membership of the party.
Gorakhpuri claimed that RDRs were ‘in the survey phase and would be used as a tool of democratic political funding system to release the party’s political and constitutional machinery from the clutches of corporate powers’.
Gorakhpuri opined that RDR does not violate the law, and questioned the arrest of the party chief.
He said that the VPI was a registered political party with the right to accept membership fees and donation from public. Hence, the campaign for fees was legal, he said.
Another allegation Vishwatma is facing is the use of security guards from unregistered companies.
“The bodyguards are all volunteers and have been trained by retired military people; the Global Security Services will be registered very soon,” claimed Gorakhpur.
“This is a conspiracy against our movement and our party; we are confident that Vishwatma will be released,” said Gorakhpur.
The police will produce Vishwatma in court after a seven-day reprimand on March 21.
