Students of Sikkim Government College
today blocked NH 31A to protest against the lathicharge unleashed by SP
Manoj Tiwari Monday evening. The public also joined in the demonstration
and vandalised ADM Aishwariya Singh’s vehicle as she was requesting the
students to lift the blockade.
DC (East) AK Singh was also manhandled
by the angry crowd when he reached the spot to assure action proper
would be taken against the lathicharge incident. However, the situation
went out of control and a huge police force led by SP Tiwari had to be
deployed assisted by SAP and IRB personnel.
After all attempts to pacify the angry
demonstrators failed, Home Secretary SK Gupta, Human Resource
Development Department secretary Thomas Chandi and additional director
general of police SD Negi tried to persuade the demonstrators to lift
their agitation. The home secretary said the state government has issued
a notification stating an inquiry will be conducted in this respect and
the SP Tiwari would be asked to apologise if found guilty.
But the students were not convinced and
claimed Tiwari should apologise on the same spot where the lathicharge
had taken place. They started hurling stones at the police personnel and
also torched a government vehicle following which a round of tear gas
was fired and Section 144 of the IPC was imposed at the Tadong area.
The crowd dispersed around 6pm but
policemen have been deployed on patrolling duty. Sources said photo
journalist Subhash Gurung’s camera was completely destroyed while
another reporter was injured in the day’s incident.
Students from various state government
colleges in Gangtok hit the streets Monday and protested outside the
Human Resource and Development Department against the sudden increase in
semester fees following which the SP resorted to lathicharge to check
the aggressive students. However, sources from the administrative
department have informed the fees have been rolled back to their
original levels.
Meanwhile, speaking to this
correspondent, SP Tiwari said, “It is not feasible to apologise in the
middle of the road, but we can sit and talk inside the college premises
to settle the matter mutually.” (EOIC)