Sikkim govt not in favour of Karmapa's visit: Congress

Gangtok, Nov 11 (UNI) Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) President Narbahadur Bhandari today alleged the present Sikkim Democratic Front government, led by Pawan Chamling, was acting as a hurdle to Buddhist religious guru 17th Gyalwa Ugen Thinley Dorji's visit to the state.

''My party would try to convince the UPA government at the Centre to allow him to visit the state,'' he said.

The former Chief Minister told mediapersons here that 99 percent of the people of the state were in favour of his visit but the ruling SDF government failed to convince the Centre about it.

On the contrary, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has said the visit of the Karmappa would create law and order problems in the state, he claimed.

''My party is very serious about the issue and will take up the matter with the Union government,'' Mr Bhandari said.

The religious guru had been awating the Centre's clerance to visit Sikkim since he fled from Tibet to Dharmasala some years back.

The Congress Chief also flayed B B Gooroong, advisor to Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, who claimed he had not written any letter to former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi to do away with the ''son of the soil'' policy and open employment opportunities in the state.

The Congress Party in its magazine, 'Congress Sandesh' has published a letter purported to have been written by Mr Gooroong, during his brief stint as Chief Minister in 1984 and circulated it in a press conference recently.

Mr Goorong, however, said his signature was forged and denied writing any such letter.

Mr Bhandari also took a strong exception to the denial made by Mr Gooroong to the corruption charges levelled by the Congress Party against Chief Minister Pawan Chamling.

The Congress leader said people of Sikkim wanted a reply from the Chief Minister, not from Mr Goorong.

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