New Delhi, April 23: The Lok Sabha to-day passed in a matter of few hours two Constitution Amendment Bills — one granting full Statehood to Sikkim and the other elevating Arunachal Pradesh to the level of other Union territories with a Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers.
The Sikkim Bill was adopted with near unanimity by 299 to 11 votes with the marxists opposing the very concept of Sikkim’s integration with the Indian Union, while the Arunachal Bill was passed unanimously after a cursory debate.
Though all the parties including the marxists fully supported the decision to abolish the institution of Chogyal, the spokesman of the CPI, Socialist Party, Jan Sangh and the BSP sharply criticised the special powers conferred on the Governor under Article 371 of the Constitution. They felt that this aspect of the Bill was derogatory to the status of Sikkim as a full-fledged State of the Indian Union.
But the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Y.B. Chavan, who moved the Bill for adoption, maintained that these powers, which the Governor would be able to exercise only under the direction of the President for dealing with the “specific situation” in Sikkim, were in no way different from the responsibilities already vested in the Governors of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat for ensuring the equitable social and economic development of different sections of the people of the respective States.
Published – April 24, 2025 05:47 am IST