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n ongoing family feud in Bone Bolango, Gorontalo, has resulted in the removal of the remains of two people from a privately owned graveyard.

The remains of Masri Dunggio and his granddaughter Siti Aisyah, who were both buried three years ago, were exhumed on Saturday from a graveyard in the village of South Toto, which is owned by Masri’s cousin Awano, following a political dispute between Awano and Masri’s family.

Masri’s brother-in-law Abdul Salam Pomontolo said the feud began last November when Awano asked the Pomontolo family to support NasDem Party legislative hopeful Iriani Monoarfa in the upcoming general election. Iriani is also related to both Masri and Sarco by marriage.

The family ignored Awano’s request, prompting the latter to demand that Masri’s and Siti’s remains be removed from his property.

Village officials had made several attempts to mediate between the family members, but the stalemate continued and the Pomontolo family decided to exhume the remains to “avoid a prolonged conflict”.

News of the exhumation went viral on Saturday, causing the local NasDem Party chapter head to issue a statement saying the party was not involved in the matter and that it was purely a family dispute.

Iriani also denied that she was involved in the conflict.

“I have just been released from the hospital and suddenly my name is mentioned,” she told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Islamic mass organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) condemned the incident and urged the public not to let political differences affect their sense of humanity.

“Hopefully, the sad incident of graves being dug up in Gorontalo because political differences [will] not be repeated,” NU executive Robikin Emhas said in a statement on Sunday.