Political rivalry turns violent in West Sikkim, 2 injured

GANGTOK, 19 March: In clash between supporters of ruling Sikkim Democratic Front and a group opposed to it has left wo persons grievously injured and a Minister’s vehicle damaged by an angry mob last evening at Singling block of Soreong-Chakung constituency in West Sikkim.
One Rajen Tamang of Singling and SDF youth convener of Soreng-Chakung constituency, Jiwan Gurung, were injured in the clash and a government vehicle [SK-02-0009] of the Roads & Bridges Minister, RB Subba, who also happens to be the area MLA, damaged, claim eyewitnesses.

Both the injured persons are informed to have been referred to Gangtok after receiving first-aid to at the Soreng PHC. Additional police force was immediately deployed to the area and official sources inform that the situation had stabilized by late in the evening.
No arrests have been made thus far, with the police presence in the area focused more on restoring normalcy, it is learnt.
The police at the spot, being engaged in restoring order in the area and guarding against a flare-up, will be in a position to share details on the case only by Saturday morning when details are collected from eyewitnesses.
From what could be pieced together from earwitness accounts, the incident is reported to have broken out during a door-to-door visit undertaken by the SDF party workers in the Singling block led by the area MLA.
It was sometime during this tour that Rajen Tamang, a Singling resident, was assaulted, allegedly with a sharp weapon. It was reportedly during this clash that the SDF youth convener of the area, Jiwan Gurung, was also injured.
The situation is reported to have deteriorated from hereon with an angry mob, protesting the assault on one of the area residents, tearing through the area and even damaging the Minister’s vehicle which was on the scene. The Minister, it is informed, made out of the scene unhurt. A substantial police force was immediately deployed to the area.
A resident of the area, on the condition of anonymity, told NOW! over the phone that an angry mob was protesting in the area raising anti-SDF slogans and blaming the area MLA for the incident.
A press release issued late this evening by Jacob Khaling, a former SDF Panchayat and now aligned with the disaffected group of former SDF members, contends that the residents of Singling block snubbed the door-to-door visit of the SDF party and it was in frustration over this attitude that the SDF youth convener attacked Rajen Tamang.