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Image: Northeast Now

Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) has submitted a memorandum to the Governor Ganga Prasad at Raj Bhawan in Gangtok on Thursday.

A delegation of SPCC led by its president Bharat Basnet submitted a memorandum with a request to the Governor to use his special powers provided by the Article 371F to take an appropriate action.

The memorandum has mentioned that during Janta Mela on January 27 at Jorethang in South Sikkim, the chief minister revealed names of several individuals who were murdered, physically assaulted and whose homes and vehicles were burnt allegedly upon orders from former Minister and MLA, P S Golay.

Likewise, the memorandum also highlighted that in a separate meeting, the chief minister has also alleged that former MLA B S Panth had distributed only photocopies of allotment documents thereby cheating 992 beneficiaries of CMRH scheme and misappropriated the scheme meant for it.

Addressing a press conference in Gangtok on Thursday, SPCC president Bharat Basnet stated that these allegations were never revealed earlier but revealing now only when both have started to speaking against the chief minister.

He added that the chief minister also holds the charge of Home Department since 1994 and all these crimes were alleged to have been committed during tenure and also when both were cabinet ministers in his government.

“It is clear that the chief minister has failed to act against his own ministers, thereby shielding them from the serious crimes they have committed. Instead of taking appropriate legal action, these revelations of such serious allegations during public meeting by an elected representative amount to breach of the oath of secrecy,” he said.

Basnet alleged that a combined political and beaurocratic conspiracy led to the rejection of nominations of four Congress party candidates in 2004 election and four SDF candidates including the chief minister were elected uncontested.

On the same vein, he further alleged that it was the suppression of democracy and the citizens were denied of their fundamental right to choose their representative and the people will lose faith on democracy.

SPCC president mentioned that the party has apprised the Governor on these issues and urged him to look into these matters seriously and to initiate appropriate action to save the spirit of democracy and sanctity of the constitution in Sikkim.

“I am leaving for Delhi on Friday to attend the core committee meeting of AICC, in which I will place all these issues to the high command of the party,” he further said.

Sagar Chhetri is Northeast Now Correspondent in Gangtok. He can be reached at: [email protected]