Gangtok: Youths and concerned citizens with no political affiliation staged a peaceful dharna at the District Administrative Centre in Gangtok opposing the appointment of senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor, demanding that the Centre defer his appointment until the ongoing CBI investigation into the alleged VIP angle in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case is completed.
Gautam is scheduled to be sworn in as Governor on October 19. The protesters said they were not opposed to the appointment itself, but questioned the timing, arguing that he should not assume a constitutional office while allegations concerning his purported connection to the case remain unresolved.
“I don’t have a problem with the appointment, but until the case is ongoing or Gautam is given a clean chit, he should not be appointed. That is our only demand,” concerned citizen CL Chettri said.
“We are ready to apologise if he is proved not guilty, but until then he should not be appointed,” Chettri added.
Gautam’s name has surfaced in allegations concerning the alleged VIP connection in the case. However, he has not been named as an accused in the murder case, and no court has established his involvement. Gautam has denied the allegations.
Ankita, 19, worked at Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district. Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2023. The identity and alleged role of the VIP referred to in the case have remained contentious.
The CBI inquiry was recommended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in January 2026 following renewed public pressure and a request from Ankita’s parents. The investigation is examining unresolved questions surrounding the alleged VIP angle.
The President’s Secretariat announced Gautam’s appointment on October 12 as part of a wider gubernatorial reshuffle. The Congress has also urged the Centre to reconsider the appointment until the CBI inquiry is completed.
Organiser Anjali said the protest was a citizen-led initiative and that the participants had come together without political affiliation.
“The sentiments of the people had been building for some time. There is a lot going on, and people wanted a platform to express their beliefs and ideas,” she said.
Anjali said she had decided to take the initiative rather than wait for someone else to organise a protest.
“I decided that I would not depend on someone else to seek permission. So I went to the DC and SP, and they supported and encouraged us to hold the protest here,” she said.
Emphasising that the demonstration was intended to be peaceful, Anjali said the organisers wanted to ensure that citizens could express their concerns while maintaining law and order.
She said the appointment should not silence those who questioned it, even if Gautam assumes office as scheduled.
“Just because he gets sworn in does not mean that our voices will become silent. We will keep raising our concerns,” she said.
Anjali said the protest was not limited to those present at the dharna, claiming that many others shared their concerns but could not attend.
“There are many people who are not here right now, but their hearts are with the movement,” she said.
Citizen Kailash Pradhan questioned whether the Sikkim government could oppose the Centre’s decision, citing Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay’s political alignment with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Pradhan said the Golay-led government was part of the NDA and had little scope to challenge the appointment.
He also referred to Golay’s conviction before he was sworn in as Chief Minister, arguing that the circumstances left the state leadership with limited room to intervene. These remarks reflected Pradhan’s assessment of the political situation.
Pradhan said citizens nevertheless had a right to raise concerns over decisions affecting the state.
“The people are the ones who enable them to be in power. If they want to continue, they should hold the trust of the people,” he said, according to the intelligible portions of the interview.
he protesters maintained that their demand was for the Centre to reconsider the timing of Gautam’s appointment until the investigation had addressed the unresolved allegations. They said they were not declaring him guilty, but wanted the inquiry to reach a conclusion before he assumed office.
The gathering brought together young people and concerned citizens, with organisers saying they would continue to hold peaceful demonstrations and provide a platform for people to express their views.
“Even if the appointment goes ahead, that does not mean we will stop. We will keep organising peacefully and raising our concerns,” Anjali said.