SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Gangtok: Dushyant Kumar Gautam was sworn in as the 19th Governor of Sikkim on Monday, succeeding Om Prakash Mathur.
Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque, administered the oath of office and secrecy to Gautam at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan here in the presence of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, members of the Council of Ministers, judges, legislators and other dignitaries.
Following the ceremony, Tamang welcomed the new governor with a traditional ‘khada’ (scarf) and introduced him to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Deputy Speaker, cabinet ministers, judges, MLAs and other dignitaries present.
He was later accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour by the Sikkim Armed Police.
President Droupadi Murmu appointed Gautam as Sikkim Governor on October 12. He succeeds Mathur, who served as the state’s 18th Governor after assuming office on July 31, 2024.
Murderer seated in the Raj Bhavan: Congress
Congress attacked the ruling BJP at the Centre and alleged that he has been seated in the Raj Bhavan so that no legal action can be taken against him in the Ankita Bhandari murder case.
Bhandari’s parents and the Congress have been staging protests against Gautam’s appointment as the Sikkim governor. She worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh and was murdered on September 18, 2022.
Her body was found from the Chilla canal four days later. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vinod Arya, and two of his accomplices have been convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The high-profile murder case had triggered widespread protests across Uttarakhand.
The case hogged the political spotlight over allegations that an unidentified VIP was linked to the crime.
Bhandari’s family and activists have demanded an investigation into the alleged VIP angle, with Gautam’s name being raised in connection with the allegations.
Why is the BJP government protecting him
Speaking with reporters, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Uttarakhand Kumari Selja said a person whose name is linked to a massive scandal is being appointed in the Raj Bhavan of Sikkim.
“Every citizen in Uttarakhand feels that there is no justice in the state. The Ankita Bhandari case shook the entire country, but she has not gotten justice to this day. Audio clips of people associated with the BJP surfaced in connection with the case and the name of a VIP also came up,” Selja said.
“We are being pacified with this rattle that the CBI is investigating, but the CBI has never investigated all angles of the case. The VIP whose name came up — Dushyant Gautam — was never even questioned. Instead, he is being seated in the Raj Bhavan, on a throne, so that no legal action can be taken against him,” she alleged.
Why is the BJP government protecting him and why is the CBI silent, she asked.
“Ankita’s parents staged a sit-in at India Gate, they were detained. Whoever raises voice for justice is detained, while those who are guilty are bestowed with a crown,” the Congress leader said.
SOURCE : SIASAT
