Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday issued a clarification after an advertisement by his government in a section of media referred to people from Sikkim as “subject” along with those from Bhutan and Nepal.
Kejriwal’s clarification came after Delhi’s lieutenant governor Anil Baijal suspended the officer who had issued the advertisement.
“Sikkim is an integral part of India. Such errors also cannot be tolerated. Advertisement has been withdrawn and action taken against the officer concerned,” the Delhi CM said in a tweet.
Sikkim is an integral part of India. Such errors also cannot be tolerated. Advertisement has been withdrawn and action taken against the officer concerned. https://t.co/BgTcjJF4MF
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 23, 2020
The ad, published in a section of media on Saturday in which residents of Sikkim were referred to as “subjects” and not citizens, led the Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang to demand an apology from his Delhi counterpart.
People under monarchies are usually referred to as subjects.
The Directorate of Civil Defence, Delhi Government had issued a notice for recruitment which said that a citizen of India or a subject of Sikkim or of Bhutan or of Nepal and a resident of Delhi can apply to join civil defence corps as volunteers.
“The advertisement has termed people of Sikkim as different citizen equated with Nepal and Bhutan while Sikkim became a state of India in 1975 and is emotionally integrated since 1975,” Tamang said. “Our people cannot even think of such a mistake by a responsible government,” Tamang said.
“I am deeply hurt by the advertisement published by the Delhi government. I urge the Chief Minister of Delhi to tender an unconditional apology to the people of Sikkim as the people are agitated with this type of mistakes from an accountable government,” the CM said in a statement
Reacting to the controversy, Delhi’s lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Saturday suspended the officer who issued the advertisement.
“A senior officer of Directorate of Civil Defence (HQ) has been suspended with immediate effect for publishing an Advertisement which disrespects the territorial integrity of India by making incorrect reference to Sikkim on the same lines as some neighbouring countries,” the LG said in a tweet.
