Sikkim BJP demands immediate FIR against Election officials over issuance of Indian voter ID to foreign national

GANGTOK, :  State BJP spokesperson Sangay Gyatso Bhutia accompanied by State secretary SangayPulger visited the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Sikkim and requested for the immediate registration of a suo motto FIR against Election officials involved in the illegal issuance of an Indian Voter ID to a foreign national, Uttam Kumar Shrestha.

In a letter addressed to the CEO, the Sikkim BJP has asserted that the citizenship of Uttam Kumar Shrestha is no longer a matter of ‘verification’ or ‘investigation’, but a proven fact. The party has produced certified documents from the A.C.J.M. Siliguri Court, including arrest and inspection memos from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), FIR copies clearly identifying his permanent address as Rapti Zone, Tribhuvan Nagar, Dang District in Nepal, and seizure lists confirming the recovery of a Nepali Citizenship Card from his possession.

The individual is a trained foreign national caught at the Panitanki border by SSB jawans. For the Election department to treat this as a routine verification matter is an insult to national security, said the State BJP in a media statement on Friday.

The State BJP expressed deep alarm over the Electoral Registration Officer’s (ERO) admission that the original Form 6 and supporting documents used to create the Voter ID are ‘missing’ from official custody. The party categorized this as a gross violation of the Sikkim Government Servants Conduct Rules 1981.

“The disappearance of these vital national records is not an accident; it is a deliberate nexus operandi to shield the officers who facilitated this breach. We are demanding to know exactly who was responsible for the safekeeping of these documents and why they haven't been suspended,” said the State BJP spokesperson.

The BJP Sikkim called for an immediate and decisive action against the then BLO, AERO (SDM, Rangpo), and ERO (ADC, Gangtok II).

The party demanded an immediate FIR and registration of criminal cases for conspiracy and forgery of national identity documents against the involved officials.

The CEO must take suo motto cognizance and act independently of the Home department’s delays to address the criminal aspect of the enrolment, demanded the State BJP. The party sought stringent proceedings under Sikkim Service Rules for the loss of official documentation.

The State BJP highlighted that the illegal enrolment of foreign nationals in a sensitive border State like Sikkim is a direct threat to the demographics and sovereignty of India. The party stated that it would not tolerate administrative negligence or corruption that allows individuals with dual citizenship and foreign military trained people to infiltrate Indian electoral rolls.

The BJP Sikkim awaits an immediate update on the filing of the FIR and has requested certified copies of all communications sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding this breach, said the spokesperson.