Supporters of the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) were involved in clashes at multiple places in Namchi district on Monday, allegedly triggered by an attack on a convoy of vehicles heading towards Salghari village to attend the opposition party’s “Save Sikkim” campaign spearheaded by ex-chief minister Pawan Chamling.

The exact number of persons injured and vehicles damaged in the multiple incidents were not available as police said they were not in a position to give the figures since the matter was being investigated. “Today we received information of clashes taking place in few places, we took appropriate action and was able to maintain peace,” Manish Kumar Verma, the superintendent of police of Namchi district, told The Telegraph.

He said two cases had been registered at the Jorethang police station in connection with the incidents, but refused to give any further details.

While SDF sources claimed 15 of its supporters were injured and 10 vehicles damaged in the clashes, two SKM leaders The Telegraph spoke to said they would get back with their party’s reaction, but had not done so till the filing of this report.

Multiple sources said the first incident took place at Denchung village in the morning when an SDF convoy was pelted with stones by alleged SKM supporters, resulting in injuries to few persons and damage to vehicles. The SDF supporters are also understood to have retaliated, injuring a few of SKM supporters and damaging some cars.

A little later another clash broke out at Assangthang village after an SDF convoy, including the vehicle in which party president Chamling was travelling in, was attacked with stones allegedly by SKM supporters. There, too, the SDF supporters retaliated, resulting in injuries to the supporters and damage to vehicles of both the parties.

The third incident took place at Salghari when three alleged supporters of SKM driving in a Bolero SUV started pelting stones causing damage to the vehicles of SDF supporters that were parked near the venue where Chamling was delivering his address, forcing him to cut short his speech.

Videos uploaded on social media — which The Telegraph cannot independently authenticate — showed the SDF supporters dragging two badly beaten SKM supporters and handing them over to the police.

Undeterred by the incident, Chamling resumed his speech a little later and vowed to take the fight to the SKM, whom he blamed for the attack. “Today, Sikkim needs to be saved from the SKM government, from its abuse and atrocities…To do this, all Sikkimese public must come together,” he said.

Claiming that there will be no peace in Sikkim till the SKM government was removed, he declared: “From today till the 2024 election, the SDF will work day in and day out. We will work in the day and in the night, and only take rest after freeing Sikkim of the SKM government. We will continue this struggle from today.”

The places where the clashes took place fall under Poklok-Kamrang Assembly constituency represented by Sikkim chief minister P. S.Tamang (Golay). Chamlinghad won from the constituency in the 2019 Assembly election, but had subsequently vacated the seat after deciding to retain Namchi-Singhithangseat from where he had also emerged victorious.

In the byelection that followed the same year, Golay, who is also the SKM president, had contested fromPoklok-Kamrang and secured a landslide win against a little-known SDF candidate.