Chamling warned of outside interference

Gangtok , Sikkim : Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling today warned that “outside interference” in the internal affairs of the state will not be tolerated.

The chief minister was addressing a meeting organised by the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) at the Guards’ Ground in Tathangchen here today.

Prior to the meeting, the SDF took out vehicle rallies from all over the state that converged on the capital in a show of strength. The rallies were aimed at silencing the Opposition in the wake of protests against hydel power projects in the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu and elsewhere in the state. All senior leaders of the party, legislators and cabinet ministers attended the meeting.

Chamling’s scathing critique made obvious references to the support extended to members of Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) by CPM leader and Bengal minister Asok Bhattacharya and the Lepcha organisations of Darjeeling.

In the course of his three-hour speech Chamling also came down heavily on ACT alleging that the organisation was just a front for such outside forces.

“There is only a handful of people from Dzongu are taking part in the hunger strike. The rest are all outsiders,” he said.

The vehicles converging on the town clogged the streets and caused huge traffic snarls on NH 31A.

Eleven members of the CPM’s Sikkim unit were today arrested by Bengal police after they obstructed the NH 31A at Melli. They were detained for a couple of hours at the Melli outpost and later released on a personal bond.

Source: The Telegraph