Senior Congress leader Ajoy Kumar has sparked widespread outrage in Sikkim after he mistakenly referred to the state as a “neighbouring country” during a press conference held on Tuesday. Kumar, during a press conference on Tuesday, had referred to the state as a neighbouring country in the same frame alongside Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
However, with the issue snowballing into a controversy, the senior Congress leader on Tuesday apologised, stating it was a “slip of the tongue”.
The comment, widely circulated on social media, has been called not only factually incorrect but also “irresponsible and insulting” by Sikkim’s lone Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba, who said the remark was a “grave affront to the people of the state, who have always stood with unwavering loyalty to the nation.”
Reacting strongly to the episode, Bikash Basnet, Political Secretary to the Chief Minister of Sikkim and Spokesperson of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), told TDG, “This is very shocking and disgraceful that the Congress Spokesperson has mentioned Sikkim as neighbouring country. This has hurt the sentiment of the people of Sikkim, and the Congress should know Sikkim is an integral part of India since 1975 and that such statements are highly condemnable. We need strict actions against Ajoy Kumar, and we demand that Congress take action and seek an unconditional apology. We suggest that Congress have some knowledge about India’s sovereignty, and they should empower that knowledge to their party members.”
In 1975, a referendum was held that led to the dissolution of the monarchy and Sikkim’s joining India as its 22nd state. Following Indian independence, Sikkim continued its protectorate status with the Union of India after 1947 and the Republic of India after 1950. It enjoyed the highest literacy rate and per capita income among Himalayan states.
