Gooroong to file defamation suit against state Congress Chief

Gangtok, Nov 8 (UNI) Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling's advisor B B Gooroong today threatened to file a defamation case against state Congress Chief Narabahadur Bhandari for publishing letters purported to have been written by him.

The Congress party had circulated a letter purportedly by Mr Gooroong to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during his brief tenure as Chief Minister in 1984, offering to do away with the ''son of the soil'' policy and open the employment opportunities in Sikkim to the people all over the country.

Mr Gooroong told mediapersons today that he had never written such a letter. The letter was forged and ''my signature was super imposed on it,'' he claimed, adding that he would take recourse to legal remedies.

''The letter, was first circulated by Mr Bhandari during 1984 elections, I had filed a defamation case but the case was closed following threats by the goons of Mr Bhandari,'' he claimed.

Mr Gooroong refuted the allegation that the state government was opposed to the visit of the Buddhist religious leader, 17th Gyalwa Karmappa Ugen Thinley Dorjee, to the state and his occupying the throne in the famous Rumtek monastery.

The power to grant permission lies with the Centre and the state government had no role to play, he clarified.

Mr Chamling, during his visit to New Delhi, had pleaded with the central authorities to allow the Karmappa to visit the state, he said.

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