Home Minister Amit Shah assured a delegation of BJP leaders from Sikkim on Sunday that the finance and home ministries will file a review plea before the Supreme Court to seek clarity on the term "Sikkimese" in line with constitutional provisioꦫns, official sources said.
The assurance from Shah came amid protests in Sikkim over the Supreme Court observation referring to Sikkimese Nepalis as "immigrantsꦚ" while extending income tax exempti🐷on to all old settlers of the state.
Shah told the delegation that sentiments of the Sikkimese coꦇmmunity are respected.
"The people of Sikkim are an integral and essential part of India. And the constitutional provision for the people of Sikkim shall be protected," he told them๊, sources said.
The delegation was led BJP state president D R Thapa and included members of the Joint Aꦆction Committee and the Sikkimey N💟agarik Samaj.
They apprised Shah about the issue of foreigners tag to Sikkimese of Nepali origin and distortion of the definiti💃on of "Sikkimese" as a result of the recent o🦄bservation from the apex court.
The home minister appealed to the people of Sikkim to maintain pea⛦ce and harmony, and advised political parties to refrain from attempting to take politi🅷cal mileage out of this sensitive issue, they said.
Earlier, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Centre is f൲iling a review petition in the apex court to support the state government.
The state government has already filed a review petition in🐟 the apex court on the matter.
