Bhandari warns SDF not to interfere in internal affairs of Congress

Gangtok, Nov 3 (UNI) The Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) today slammed ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party spokesperson B B Gooroong for ''interfering into the internal affairs of the party''.

''B B Gooroong has no business to poke his nose into the internal affairs our party. We condemn his verbal assault on our party president,'' SPCC spokesperson K N Lepcha said in a press meet here.

Mr Gooroong had recently demanded the SPCC president to step down from his public post on moral grounds as he had been convicted twice by a lower court.

''He (Mr Gooroong) should first read the constitution of AICC under which SPCC functions. I am not a nominated president of SPCC but elected by the PCC members and I will complete my term,'' Mr Bhandari retorted.

The SPCC president also claimed that he will make sure that Congress forms the next government under his presidentship as the Assembly election was just few months away.

''When Congress forms the government in Sikkim under my leadership, we will constitute a commission to probe into the illegal sanction given for CBI to probe against me,'' Mr Bhandari said.

Mr Gooroong, who was the Sikkim Chief Minister for 13 days in 1984, had given consent for launching a CBI investigation in two corruption and disproportionate assets cases against Mr Bhandari.

''The consent given by Mr Gooroong was illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic as he had no majority in the Assembly,'' he claimed.

Regarding his two convictions by a lower court, Mr Bhandari said the ''destination of the cases will be Supreme Court.'' UNI BG DPM AKJ HS1635