The state government has condemned the burning of the effigy.
Gangtok, Aug. 6: The general secretary of the Sikkim Congress, J.B. Darnal, was arrested this morning in connection with the burning of the effigy of governor V. Rama Rao.
Three Congress supporters Palden Bhutia, Polo Bhutia and Bikram Rai were arrested yesterday and locked up in the Sadar police station following the effigy-burning episode here on Saturday. The effigy was burnt in the presence of senior party leaders in front of the party headquarters on Jeevan Theeng Marg in the development area here.
The protesters accused the governor of not taking steps to resolve the ongoing crisis over the installation of hydel power projects in the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu. Members of Affected Citizens of Teesta have been on fast for more than a month on the issue.
All the four were produced in court today and remanded in police custody for two days .
The four Congress workers were arrested on the basis of photographic evidence made available to police. According to the police superintendent (East) M.S. Tuli, the protesters had been arrested under Sections 147, 153, 153(a)1, 124, 124(a) and 511 for unlawful assembly, intention to provoke, affect public peace and order.
The state government has condemned the burning of the effigy. A communiqué, issued by the state information and the public relations department, has branded the act as irresponsible and defying all principles of democratic behaviour.
Senior Congress leaders, on the other hand, condemned the arrest of four party workers at a meeting held today. State party chief Nar Bahadur Bhandari told reporters that the arrests were politically motivated and illegal since they were not backed by arrest warrants.
Three Congress supporters Palden Bhutia, Polo Bhutia and Bikram Rai were arrested yesterday and locked up in the Sadar police station following the effigy-burning episode here on Saturday. The effigy was burnt in the presence of senior party leaders in front of the party headquarters on Jeevan Theeng Marg in the development area here.
The protesters accused the governor of not taking steps to resolve the ongoing crisis over the installation of hydel power projects in the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu. Members of Affected Citizens of Teesta have been on fast for more than a month on the issue.
All the four were produced in court today and remanded in police custody for two days .
The four Congress workers were arrested on the basis of photographic evidence made available to police. According to the police superintendent (East) M.S. Tuli, the protesters had been arrested under Sections 147, 153, 153(a)1, 124, 124(a) and 511 for unlawful assembly, intention to provoke, affect public peace and order.
The state government has condemned the burning of the effigy. A communiqué, issued by the state information and the public relations department, has branded the act as irresponsible and defying all principles of democratic behaviour.
Senior Congress leaders, on the other hand, condemned the arrest of four party workers at a meeting held today. State party chief Nar Bahadur Bhandari told reporters that the arrests were politically motivated and illegal since they were not backed by arrest warrants.
