Sikkim BJP slams cops over attack on CAP leaders, demands full CCTV footage

Sikkim’s political atmosphere witnessed tension following an alleged violent incident involving members of the Citizen Action Party (CAP), which took place near the Sadar Police Station in Gangtok on the night of July 17. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly condemned the incident, terming it another example of repeated law and order failure in the state.

Speaking to the media, BJP spokesperson Passang Gyali Sherpa said the party is deeply concerned by the attack, which reportedly took place within or around the police station premises. “It is very unfortunate. This is not the first time such an incident has taken place in Sikkim. What makes it worse is that it happened in the heart of the capital city, within the Sadar Police Station area,” Sherpa said. He also mentioned that the BJP has already informed the central government and was asked to submit a full report.

Sherpa added that even after 24 hours, the police had not arrested anyone. “We talked to the police, and they are clueless. Instead of taking responsibility, they are blaming CAP workers who went to the Vigilance Department. But the fact is, the incident happened under the police's watch. Sikkim Police has failed in its responsibility,” he said.

A key disagreement lies in the location of the incident. While eyewitnesses and opposition leaders claim it happened inside police premises, the police maintain it occurred outside. “If police are sincere, they should show the CCTV footage from 10:15 p.m. to 11 p.m. on July 17. Then everything will be clear,” Sherpa said, standing at the site with eyewitnesses. “Unless the footage is shown, we believe the police are trying to hide something.”

Also Read: Tension in Gangtok as four CAP members arrested; Police refute assault allegations

Meanwhile, the Citizen Action Party has also spoken out. Tikaram Sharma, a CAP karyakarta who was detained that night, shared details about the events. He said a CAP team had gone to the Vigilance Department as part of a regular program that was announced by their party president on January 26, 2025. “We simply asked government servants who were found present to vacate their positions so that younger and more capable officials could take charge,” Sharma said.

He recalled how CAP leader Diwas Gurung and 11 others were detained as they peacefully surrendered themselves at the police station. “While we were surrendering, two more people joined. Suddenly, there was chaos. It looked like a planned disruption,” he said.

Sharma blamed the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) for the incident. “Two days ago, the Chief Minister was saying that this is their government and they will do whatever they want. This mindset is dangerous for democracy. It clearly shows the kind of support and protection people behind these attacks have,” he claimed.

When asked about what the police said after releasing them, Sharma replied, “They had no solid reason. It seemed they thought people would get scared and back down. But we won’t.”

Passang Gyali Sherpa also questioned the police's actions on the night of the incident. “They are saying that it was a case of criminal intimidation, which has a maximum punishment of five years. That’s why they didn’t arrest the accused. But if they had wanted to prevent any violence, they could have detained everyone involved at once. Instead, they delayed and let the situation go out of hand,” he said.

Sherpa accused the police of being hand-in-glove with the attackers. “If they really wanted to protect those inside, they would have acted quickly. But they didn’t. It looks like they were trying to protect the culprits.”