With a Sikkim minister quitting on the issue of Supreme Court's observation that the Sikkimese Nepali community are immigrants, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has said that his government has already filed a review petition in the apex court for its rectification.
The additional advocate general and law secretary of the state are handling the matter at the national capital along with legal experts, Tamang said. "This is to inform everyone that the Government of Sikkim has filed a review petition before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India for suitably addressing the grievances and sentiments of the people of Sikkim concerning certain observations in the judgment pronounced on January 13, 2023," he said in a social media post.
"I will be going to New Delhi to personally meet Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and top law officials of the country," the Sikkim chief minister said on Thursday. The matter is being dealt with in all seriousness and all steps will be taken to protect the rights and dignity of the Sikkimese people, he added.
Sikkim Health Minister, Mani Kumar Sharma resigned from his post on Thursday after questioning the state government's handling of the issue related to depiction of Sikkimese Nepali community as immigrants by the Supreme Court in its observations. In a letter to Tamang, he said the state government has not taken the sentiments of Sikkimese people seriously.
"I feel it is not necessary to remain in the state cabinet further," Sharma said and urged Tamang to accept his resignation with immediate effect. Supreme Court's observations that the Sikkimese Nepali community was an immigrant one while allowing income tax exemption to all old settlers cutting across ethnic lines has riled the state politics, causing massive disaffection in all sections of the civil society.
The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha had taken out a peace march in protest against the apex court's observations.
