'Immigrant' row: Government of India stands with the people of Sikkim, says Union Minister Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju on February 5 said that he has spoken to Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on 'immigrant' tag' issue and have assured that Government of India is looking into the matter on priority.

He said that Union of India is also filing a review petition in Supreme Court to support Sikkim Government through Solicitor General of India and added that Government of India stands with the people of Sikkim.

The Union Minister also assured all the people of Sikkim that this judgment does not deal with or dilute Article 371F of the Constitution and has nothing to do with anyone's citizenship. 

He said that Government of India value the Constitutional status of every genuine Indian and will be protected at any cost.
Earlier on February 2 , Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang in a tweet said that Government of Sikkim had filed review petitions before the Supreme Court of India for suitably addressing the grievances and sentiments of the people of Sikkim concerning certain observations in the judgment pronounced on 13th January 2023.

He added that the Additional Advocate General of Sikkim and the Law Secretary, Government of Sikkim are handling the matter in New Delhi with legal experts and further informed that he would be visiting New Delhi to personally meet Law Minister Kiren Rijiju Ji with top law officials of the country for further action.

The Sikkim Chief Minister had earlier reassured everyone that the matter is being dealt with in all seriousness, and he would do everything possible to protect the rights and dignity of all the Sikkimese people.

Earlier, Miffed over the 'foreigner' remark against Sikkimese Nepali Community in a recent Supreme Court judgement, Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) on February 3 called for a 48-hour bandh on February 4 and 5.

''Through this bandh, we must send a strong message from the people of Sikkim to the Central government that the people of the Sikkimese Nepali Community are not foreigners,'' said SDF president Pawan Chamling.

''Since, it is not possible for people to come up individually and raise their voices. We need a collective demonstration from the people of Sikkim,'' he added.

He further said that in a democracy, calling a bandh is the most appropriate measure to show our collective protest against the foreigner and immigrants stain.

Apart from SDF, various political parties and organisations are holding rallies in different parts of Sikkim to protest the immigrant tag on the Sikkimese Nepali community.