Gangtok: Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) leader Bhaichung Bhutia met former Chief Minister and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) leader Pawan Kumar Chamling at the SDF party office on Monday.
A statement issued by the HSP says, “Both the leaders agreed that this is the issue of Sikkimese identity and everyone should cooperate, keeping their political differences aside for the betterment of Sikkim.”
Chamling reportedly assured Bhaichung that he will support any Bill presented in the state Assembly to restore the Sikkimese Nepali seat reservation and the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Sikkim.
Bhaichung also met with the Joint Action Committee general secretary, Keshav Sapkota, and handed the team a letter seeking JAC’s support on the HSP’s demands.
During the discussion, the JAC general secretary said, “The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) government is at fault and the Chief Minister should apologise to the people of Sikkim for the lapses on the government’s part due to which the unfortunate sentence, ‘persons of foreign origin like Nepalis’ appeared the judgment.”
On February 5, Bhaichung addressed a press conference to ‘expose the double-engine government of SKM in Sikkim and BJP’, calling out the Centre’s role in the derogatory remarks as mentioned in the observations attached with the Supreme Court’s judgment.
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Bhaichung explained, “The only permanent solution to these problems are the restoration of the Sikkimese Nepali Seat Reservation and the implementation of ILP. Both these are political solutions that can only be done in the Sikkim assembly.”
HSP also said that Bhaichung will be meeting leaders of all the political parties and key stakeholders to seek support for the HSP’s demands.
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