Gangtok: The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted a memorandum to Sikkim Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Wednesday demanding a CBI inquiry into the mysterious death case of Late Padam Gurung.
Addressing the media at the Raj Bhawan premises after meeting the Governor, BJP spokesperson Kamal Adhikari said, “We are troubled by reports of lathi charge and firing of tear gas on citizens in Namchi on Monday, who were peacefully rallying to demand a fair and transparent inquiry into the tragic death of Padam Gurung, a student leader from Namchi government college. The reports of a peaceful rally being met with a lathi charge and firing of tear gas by the Sikkim Police was deeply distressing. The right to peaceful assembly and expression is a fundamental pillar of any democratic society. The incident has left the state shaken and in search of justice”.
The party highlighted that, up to this point, no investigation has been conducted concerning the case.”Inspite of all the leads of witnesses in social media, the investigation seems vague and influenced by the unseen forces. This is the second incident questioning the fairness of the Police Authority, where previously a social worker Keshav Sapkota was brutally attempted to murder in broad daylight by goons inside the circle of police personnel at Singtam bazaar on April 8, earlier this year. These incident have created atrocity upon the whole of state citizens, making them feel insecure and believing police authority for safety is absolutely questioning”.
Pointing out these events, the party urged the Governor to use his power under Article 371F (g) for the security of the State, to ensure that the investigation into the death of Late Padam Gurung is conducted with complete transparency, impartiality, and in accordance with the principles of justice.
“We have given time and chance to the government to solve the issue, but no concern or solution has been drawn yet. The one-man inquiry committee should have been under a sitting Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim, but government has constituted a committee with retired judge, the one-man committee has not been able to reach a conclusion nor convince the people that the investigation is unbiased and fair”, added BJP.
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The BJP also took the platform to slam its own MLA from Darjeeling Neeraj Zimba for meddling with the concerns of Sikkim in the case of Padam Gurung’s death.
Adhikari said, “Sikkim is one society, Padam Gurung’s case is an internal matter. Neeraj Zimba being BJP member from Darjeeling has no reason to invade in the concern of Sikkim. We all know who Zimba is close with the Sikkim government in power. We have always supported Darjeeling-Kalimpong hills when they are in turmoil. But until and unless we invite, they have no right to intervene in our State’s personal matters. Without knowing much about affairs of Sikkim, to give a statement, is not something that Padam Gurung’s family will accept nor will the people of the State”.
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