Sikkim Democratic Front president and former chief minister Pawan Chamling has welcomed the threat of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha government to bring in the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe corruptions cases in the state, but has cautioned against making it a tool to harass political opponents.

Interacting with the media on Thursday at Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri on his return from Delhi after a gap of three months, Chamling said it was the prerogative of the state governments to allow or not allow the operation of CBI in their states. But the P.S. Tamang (Golay)-headed government, Chamling said, was yet to deliver on its election pledge to probe all corruption cases in the state by the central agency within 100 days of coming to power.

“Till now, the CBI has not been introduced in Sikkim. It is their (the state government’s) prerogative. The CBI operates under the Delhi Police Act (read Delhi Special Police Establishment Act) and to allow its entry or otherwise is the right of the states. It is good to engage the CBI in Sikkim to probe cases of tyranny, corruption, killings, and find out businessmen trading in truth and untruth. We welcome this,” he said.

Chamling, however, said if the CBI were to be misused for political motives to harass Opposition leaders or those whom the government didn’t agree with, it would affect not just the targeted person but everybody else, including those in power. “It (bringing in CBI) is akin to pulling down a vine to bring down a hill, and the falling rock will first impact Mitokgang (the chief minister’s official residence in Gangtok),” he said.

Section 6 of the DPSE Act authorises the central government to direct the CBI to probe a case within the jurisdiction of any state on the recommendation of the state government concerned.

The CBI manual states: “The central government can authorise CBI to investigate such a crime in a state but only with the consent of the concerned state government. The Supreme Court and High Courts, however, can order CBI to investigate such a crime anywhere in the country without the consent of the state.

Golay had recently said his government would soon allow the CBI to probe corruption cases in Sikkim. “Don’t worry. CBI is coming. The iron has to be struck when it is hot,” he had said, alluding to the alleged acts of corruption in the 25-year-old Chamling regime from 1994 to 2019.