Sikkim: Prohibitory orders in Singtam after violence during Joint Action Committee rally

The Sikkim government on Monday banned the gathering of four or more persons in Singtam after violence broke out during a rally of the Joint Action Committee on Saturday, reported PTI.

Joint Action Committee general secretary Keshav Sapkota was also injured in the attack by unidentified miscreants.

The Joint Action Committee, or JAC, is spearheading a protest against a Supreme Court verdict in January which held that Indians who had settled in Sikkim on or before April 26, 1975 – the date on which the state merged with India – will be entitled to be exempt from income tax.

The order came on a writ petition by the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim that had challenged the definition of “Sikkimese” under Section 10 (26AAA) of the Income Tax Act.

The association had argued that the exclusion was discriminatory and contravened the fundamental right to equality guaranteed by the Constitution. The court held that the benefit of the tax exemption should be extended to all Indian citizens domiciled in Sikkim.

Violence should have no place in a democracy. Sadly such incidents are becoming regular in #Sikkim. No attempts to stem it. Today Joint Action Council General Secretary Keshav Sapkota was viciously attacked ahead of the scheduled protest rally in Singtam pic.twitter.com/4WaLh85ere— Karma Paljor...

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