Sikkim: Health Minister Mani Kumar Sharma resigns from state cabinet

The ‘Foreigner’ Tag observation by Supreme Court on judgement has come as a major jolt for  Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) government in Sikkim. 

Sikkim Health Minister Mani Kumar Sharma on February 2 resigned from the state cabinet.

MK Sharma submitted his resignation to Sikkim Chief Minister PS Tamang.

Stating his reason for stepping down as a cabinet minister, Sharma said that his move was in view of the recent SC verdict.

In his resignation letter, he stated that “the state government has not taken the sentiments of Sikkimese people seriously” and that he feels “it is not necessary to remain in the state cabinet further.”
MK Sharma resigned from the post as Sikkim minister for health and family welfare cum information technology.

Of late, Sikkim witnessed many protests across the state after the Supreme Court, while hearing a case, observed that Sikkimese Nepalis were people of foreign origin.
However, 
On January 13, while delivering its verdict on the petition filed by Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim (AOSS), demanding exemption of income tax for the old settlers who had settled in Sikkim before its merger with India on April 26 1975, the apex court had observed that Sikkimese Nepalis were people of foreign origin.

The apex court also exempted old settlers of Indian origin from paying income tax.

The Indian Income Tax Act 1961 was applicable in Sikkim with effect from April 1, 2008 vide section 10 of 26 AAA wherein majority of Sikkimese population were exempted from paying Income Tax and the term Sikkimese was defined.

The old settlers of Indian origin residing in Sikkim prior to the merger were left out from the said definition.