GANGTOK — The Union Government’s decision to appoint senior politician Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim has met with fierce opposition, as the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) launched street demonstrations in Gangtok demanding an immediate suspension of the constitutional appointment.
The political backlash coincides with the detention and subsequent release of the parents of 2022 murder victim Ankita Bhandari in New Delhi, who gathered near India Gate to demand that the executive revoke Gautam’s nomination until central investigative agencies conclude their inquiry into unresolved aspects of the case.
Key Takeaways
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Formal Appeal to the President: SPCC President Gopal Chettri formally petitioned President Droupadi Murmu to halt Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s inauguration to safeguard the sanctity of the gubernatorial office.
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Protests Across Gangtok and Delhi: Congress workers staged a public sit-in in the Sikkim capital, while the victim’s family issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the central government during demonstrations in the national capital.
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CBI Investigation Focus: The pushback stems from an ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe ordered in early 2026 to identify an unnamed individual referenced during the 2022 resort murder trial.
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No Judicial Findings: Dushyant Gautam has consistently denied all allegations, is not listed as an accused in court filings, and has never been indicted or convicted by any judicial tribunal.
Constitutional Integrity and Regional Protests
Addressing party workers during the Gangtok demonstration, SPCC leadership maintained that appointing individuals linked to unfinalized criminal inquiries to head state administrations damages constitutional norms.
“A Governor holds a very important constitutional position and is responsible for upholding the Constitution in a state. This is not an ordinary post. How could the BJP government recommend someone whose name has surfaced in such a serious controversy for this constitutional office?”
Local party representatives emphasized that while Sikkim maintains a peaceful political culture, public sentiment favors maintaining strict ethical standards for top administrative appointments.
Background of the Controversy
The dispute relates to the 2022 death of a 19-year-old resort employee in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. Although primary perpetrators received life imprisonment sentences in May 2023, public pressure led state authorities to initiate a secondary central probe into lingering procedural questions.
With the President’s Secretariat announcing Gautam’s transfer as part of a national gubernatorial reshuffle, opposition parties and civil rights groups maintain that constitutional appointments should remain on hold until all central investigative findings are formally cleared.
