Candidates exchange allegations of violence in Geyzing-Bermiok

KUSH HANG LEEWANG

GANGTOK,: SKM Geyzing-Bermiok candidate Loknath Sharma has condemned the stone pelting incident and hurling of abusive words at him and his supporters allegedly by the supporters of independent candidate Khusendra Sharma on Saturday night. He claimed that the incident was pre-planned with the sole motive of murdering him.

“It was a shameful and an unfortunate incident. Such a politically motivated act of violence in Sikkim which is hailed as a peaceful State in the country remains a factor to be worried", said Loknath Sharma to media on Sunday.

Without naming Khusendra Sharma, Loknath expressed that orchestrating an attack by a candidate on another candidate showed nothing but his desperation to be victorious in the election by hook or crook.

"They (supporters of Khusendra Sharma) had come with a pre-planned motive of murdering us. Such act of violence must not be encouraged and supported for the sake of political gain,” said Loknath, also the incumbent MLA from Geyzing-Bermiok.

Loknath Sharma maintained that SKM party believes in peace and harmony and the party would not resort to any political violence in any kind. He appealed to the party supporters not to resort to any violence.

The SKM party unit had filed FIR against some individuals alleged to be involved in the case and it was informed that some have been arrested and detained under relevant sections.

However, independent candidate Khusendra Sharma giving clarification on the subject maintained that at first the convoy of his supporters were cordoned and tortured by SKM supporters. He further alleged that he and his supporters are being harassed constantly while moving around the constituency for the election campaign. I was denied entry into some wards of the constituency by the SKM functionaries but after the intervention of the administration, we were allowed to campaign, he said.

“Wherever we organize our program we face disturbances from the supporters of SKM candidate. We have been tolerant towards such acts without any complain”, he said.

Khusendra Sharma called the electoral politics dependent solely upon the electorate to decide on who would be the preferred individual to lead as a public representative and expressed that the political rivalry should not be encouraged through violence. He maintained that he and his supporters believed in liberal political approach with zero tolerance to violence.