Gangtok, July 2: Political parties lashed out at Congress leader Dr. Ajoy Kumar after he referred to Sikkim as a “neighbouring country,” drawing sharp condemnation and forcing him to issue a public apology.
Dr. Kumar took to social media to express regret over the remark, calling it a “slip of the tongue” during a press conference on the alleged ₹400-crore SAIL scam.
“Yesterday, in my press conference on ‘SAIL 400 crore scam’, when I was speaking about the deteriorating relations with our neighbouring countries, I accidentally mentioned the name of a state. I sincerely apologise—it was just a slip of the tongue. The BJP looks for small mistakes by opposition leaders,” he wrote on X.
However, the clarification did little to quell the anger.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla reacted strongly, stating that Dr. Kumar’s comment insulted not just Sikkim but the entire Northeast.
“The statement made by Ajoy Kumar that Sikkim is not an integral part of India and is, in fact, a neighbouring nation, shows how he has insulted not just Sikkim but the entire Northeast. Congress has always been against the Northeast. We have seen they bombed one of the northeastern states and said bye‑bye to Assam in the 1960s,” he said.
Sikkim’s ruling party, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), also condemned the remark. Yougan Tamang, Press Secretary to the Chief Minister, said the comment was both factually incorrect and emotionally distressing.
“Sikkim became an integral part of India in 1975. For a national party leader to refer to it as a neighbouring country is deeply hurtful to the people of the state. Political leaders must act responsibly and ensure proper research before speaking publicly,” Tamang said.
He added that an apology alone was not enough, urging the Congress to initiate disciplinary action against Dr. Kumar.
Also Read: B.Sc students of CAU Tura hold teaching aids exhibition to promote early childhood education
Also Watch
Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.
Also, Follow us on-
Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub
Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020
Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub
Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub
