Sikkim: Row over Heritage Park fire escalates, SDF blames ruling SKM of conspiracy

Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party once again openly criticized the Sikkim Police in a press conference held at Gangtok on Saturday. Addressing the media, publicity vice president of SDF Abhinash

Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party once again openly criticized the Sikkim Police in a press conference held at Gangtok on Saturday. Addressing the media, publicity vice president of SDF Abhinash Yakha, alleged that Sikkim is grappling with organised crime, involving government, Sikkim Police and some party’a mafia.

Talking about the fire incident that happened yesterday at Cultural Park at Yangang South Sikkim, Yakha alleged that the incident is totally pre-planned, and police have a role in this incident.

Further he claimed that the fire outbreak at the cultural park is a tactic of SKM government to handover the land to some big private contractors for money and also to erase the former Chief Minister’s work.

Questioning the functioning of Sikkim police, Yakha said, Police have not done any investigations and arrested the accused of any crimes that happened in the previous days. He demanded that higher authorities of Central government to get involved in this matter and conduct proper judicial inquiry.

Nearly 2 hours after SDF spokesperson Avinash Yakha’s press meet, the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha gave a detailed counter to the allegations leveled over the fire incident at Cultural Heritage Park in South Sikkim’s Yangyang.

During the press conference, SDF spokespersons Jacob Khaling and Bikash Basnet dismissed the allegations stating them to be without any evidence or facts and have been made just to mislead the people.

Refuting the allegations, while speaking exclusively to Northeast Live, SKM Spokesperson Bikash Basnet said that being Government property, it is protected by the Government and hence the SDF’s allegations are baseless. The SKM Spokesperson further said that the matter is under investigation now and the culprits can be nabbed only after it is over.

When asked whether there was any intention to run it under PPP mode, Bikash Basnet terming it as a false allegation said that the property was leased to a private firm during Former CM Pawan Chamling’s tenure. He further added that after formation of their Government in Sikkim, they proposed it develop the site into a Film City which was currently underway.

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