• Sujal Pradhan, NET Correspondent, Sikkim 

The ruling party Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) on Monday reminded the former Chief Minister & Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) legislator Pawan Kumar Chamling of all the misdeeds committed under his tenure, thereby lambasting him for all the humiliations faced by current Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay, when he escalated clamour against Chamling’s autocratic regime.

Through a press release issued by the SKM, the Chief Coordinator (Press & Publicity/Social Media), Bikash Basnet questioned the former CM, “Isn’t it ironic to learn about Sikkim’s greatest despotic leader preaching the rest of the State about Democracy and sanctity of Sikkim Legislative Assembly (SLA) who for the last 25 years used the sacred SLA as his personal fiefdom where the last echoes of justice and fairness were strangled and throttled.”

“Today, in less than 3 years after having been tossed out of power, the man wants to question SKM Party’s commitment to maintaining the sanctity of the Assembly” – shared Basnet.

The press release further reads, “it would be appropriate to remind him of all the misdeeds committed under his tenure. For twenty-five years there are unaccountable events when you made a mockery of the SLA by muzzling opposition members, when unethical charges were made against the members of the Press fraternity or via intoxicated speeches made against opposition members which you used to deliver in the assembly.”

“Sikkim will never forget the day when our Party President PS Golay was humiliatingly ejected from the SLA when he stood to voice against your autocratic regime. Sikkim will never forget the incessant humiliation and chastising of Senior leader N.B Bhandari when he stood to confront you on several issues. It is shameful to blame SKM citing about sanctity and dignity of SLA when it was in your regime where zero hour, question hour of assembly were put on hold and also several written starred questions of opposition MLAs were put into unstared category directly strangulating the voice of opposition members, many a times questions were never answered or unaddressed. You even boycotted the oath-taking ceremony of the Speaker of SLA and now you want to preach to the rest of us about Democracy and question Speaker about the nature of conducting business?” – asserted Basnet.

“And last but not the least, the people of Sikkim will never forget the silencing of two opposition MLAs by the then Speaker, KN Rai, threatening them of ejection when they had questioned the Chamling Administration on several issues. When was your so-called ‘sanctity of Democracy’ then?” – added Basnet.

“Pawan Chamling, it was you who claimed that the Chief Minister is an illegal CM and vowed never to step foot in the Assembly. Its pity to see you eat your own words and decide to step back in. Well, better late than never as they say, we will welcome Pawan Chamling when he finally decides to step into the SLA where our legislatures will fittingly reply to all your allegations and conspiracy theories.” – further reads the statement.

It’s worthy to note that SDF Chief Chamling on Monday vowed to attend the Sikkim Legislative Assembly from the next budget session to expose the truths allegedly suppressed by the SKM government on Limboo Tamang seat reservation and Karmapa issues.

However, the press release issued by SDF on Monday stated, “enough is enough, I will wait no longer. I will go to the assembly from next budget session and tell them to grow up and work as a government. I will tell the people who secured the ST status for Limboo- Tamang communities and what hindered the reservation of their seat in the assembly. I will tell them who lobbied for the grant permission for the Karmapa to enter Sikkim and who created and obstacle for his entry even after so much time has passed since the permission was granted.”