Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has made it clear that the new citizenship law and NRC do not affect the state as it enjoys special status under Article 371 (F). His remarks came after sporadic protests in Sikkim against the citizenship law and NRC. “Some political parties and individuals are trying to misguide the Sikkimese people by emotionally playing with the Citizenship Amendment Act. The SKM government and party had already cleared its stand on the issue that the Act must not be implemented in the state,” Tamang said during a public programme in Ranka on Monday. He said that apart from his own petitions to the Union government and Home Minister, Sikkim MP Indra Hang Subba had submitted a protection of Article 371(F) when the Bill was discussed in Parliament. “In the reply to our MP’s submissions, Home Minister Amit Shah clearly said that Sikkim will not be affected by the new citizenship law and NRC and that the people of Sikkim need not worry. We must trust the statement of the minister in Parliament,” said Tamang.
