UAPA arrest: MLA Kala Rai calls for Statewide verification drive of tenants and shops

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:&quot;Bookman Old Style&quot;,serif"><b>GANGTOK,:</b> Even as Sikkim Police have clarified that there is no evidence of any organised terrorist module or imminent threat to public safety in the State following the arrest of a 19-year-old man under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Upper Burtuk MLA Kala Rai has called for a comprehensive verification drive of commercial establishments and stricter enforcement of trade regulations, citing Sikkim's strategic location along international borders.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:&quot;Bookman Old Style&quot;,serif">“What happened yesterday—these recurring incidents are a warning for us. All of us need to take this very seriously. As you can see, we are surrounded by international borders on all sides. Our State, Sikkim, is bordered by international frontiers on all four sides. This is not just about yesterday's incident; if you look back three years ago, two terrorists from Pakistan were apprehended from right in front of the Gurudwara here. This is not the first time this has happened,” Rai said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:&quot;Bookman Old Style&quot;,serif">The Upper Burtuk MLA was speaking to the media on Wednesday on the sidelines of a programme here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:&quot;Bookman Old Style&quot;,serif">The accused had been arrested by Gangtok Police three weeks ago from Nam Nam here under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), as widely reported by the media yesterday. Investigations are underway into the alleged online self-radicalisation of the accused and the dissemination of extremist propaganda through digital platforms.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:&quot;Bookman Old Style&quot;,serif">"You all know that close to the 6th or 5th Mile, a top leader of the ULFA was living here for seven to eight years, teaching children in a school. Everyone should be aware of this. What we want now, and what we repeatedly say, is that trade licences should not be renewed indiscriminately or transferred in violation of the law. We have heard - whether it is true or not, we need to know - that some people were running shops here. When individuals who are not local voters operate businesses here, we know very little about them. Such practices must be stopped," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:&quot;Bookman Old Style&quot;,serif">Calling for immediate verification drives in major commercial areas, including Lal Bazaar, Rai said, "No one can dismiss this by saying, 'This is my area, do not interfere, do not enter here, I gave my shop to someone, do not come and disturb us.' You cannot say things like that anymore. If we are truly concerned about the security of Sikkim, then we must verify everyone who is running a shop here - who they are, what kind of background they have, where they came from, and what they are doing. Everyone needs to stay alert."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:&quot;Bookman Old Style&quot;,serif">Rai also stressed the need to fix accountability among landlords and ensure strict administrative enforcement of existing regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:&quot;Bookman Old Style&quot;,serif">"Simply blaming the government will not work. We need to question the house owners and landlords who rented out the shops: 'Who gave them the shop? On whose authority were they running it? How could you rent your property to them like this?' Therefore, I want to tell all the residents of Sikkim that this is an incredibly serious matter. Finding a Pakistani terrorist here is no small issue. Sikkim is a State surrounded on all sides by international borders, so we must all stay alert and focused on this. If anyone comes here, we cannot just allow them to set up shop arbitrarily. Every single shop needs to be checked rigorously. The government only frames the laws, but it is the administration that implements them. The administrative officials must execute this task with the utmost vigilance," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

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