Gangtok: Amidst media reports of Bharatiya Janata Party demanding ministerial positions for its 12 legislators in the Sikkim cabinet led by Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party, BJP’s Sikkim In-charge Sukanta Majumdar has claimed he was misquoted.
Speaking with EastMojo on Tuesday evening, the MP from Balurghat, West Bengal stated, “they (the media) have joined two sentences. But it was concerning different concerns. These are internal things that we can’t say anything about in public. The media (house) asked me whether we asked for the positions and whether we accept them or not. That is when I said ‘obviously’ because if in alliance someone tells us they will give us a ministry, (Prem Singh) if Golay gives, then obviously we will accept it.”
Majumdar claimed the SKM and BJP to be a family. “This alliance is nothing but a family thing between husband and wife. Sometimes, something happens, but that will be resolved inside the family. We will resolve this within our family. From the BJP’s end, I can say that. We are eager to keep the alliance, if we get our due respect.”
He went on to add, “Presently, we have an alliance with the SKM. They are our NDA partners. If our partners will ask us about the cabinet position (in Sikkim) then obviously we will think about that positively. But what has been quoted about by other media houses, these are all wrong things, and we have not spoken about it,” said the BJP MP.
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On whether some action will be taken by the MP against the media house, Majumdar said, “I have not gone through their whole report, some media houses have quoted that I have asked for 4 cabinet positions. No, when they asked whether I would like the join the government, to which I answered if they offer then we will think positively. If they ask us to join then we will join. We have already conveyed our message to our SKM partners. They joined the two sentences to make them sound different. But it’s a no, I didn’t say that.”
On being asked concerning the ultimatum issued by the Sikkim BJP to the government on Adhoc teachers issue, with a stronger press address on September 8, Majumdar shared, “What the promised stronger press conference on September 8 will hold, that our spokesperson Raju Giri will be able to talk about that. Regarding what they are planning to address in the press conference.”
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EastMojo also placed a question to the legislator on the recent public gharao against BJP legislator Ugen Gyatso Lepcha amidst rumours of him joining the SKM, Majumdar said, “I talked with Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay concerning the harassment faced by Ugen Gyatso Bhutia recently. He assured me that he will take appropriate actions against the harassment.”
On the rumours of him joining SKM, Majumdar claimed, “I have no clue about that.”
