A newspaper advertisement that had wrongly implied that Sikkim was not a apart of the country has led Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to issue a clarification. The officer responsible for the ad has also been suspended.
The erroneous advertisement
The advertisement that was published on Saturday in leading Delhi newspapers invited volunteers to join the Civil Defence Corps – a citizens’ emergency force. While listing the criteria for those who want to join, the ad classified Sikkim among foreign nations. The ad read:”Eligibility – have to be citizen of India, subject of Bhutan, Nepal and Sikkim, or resident of Delhi.”
The ad has been removed
Following the outrage, the Sikkim government issued a statement. It read:”In the recent newspaper advertisement of Delhi Government for enrollment of volunteers for Civil Defence Corps, Sikkim has been clubbed with Bhutan and Nepal as a separate country.This is immensely hurtful to the people of Sikkim, who take pride in being the citizens of our great country.”
After the Delhi Government was slammed for the ad, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal announced that the concerned officer was suspended. He said: “A senior officer of Directorate of Civil Defence (HQ) has been suspended with immediate effect for publishing an Advertisement which disrespects the territorial integrity of India by making incorrect reference to Sikkim on the same lines as some neighboring countries.” The Delhi administration also issued directions to withdraw the controversial advertisement.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal later issued a statement regarding the issue. He called Sikkim an ‘integral’ part of India in his tweet.
Sikkim is an integral part of India. Such errors also cannot be tolerated. Advertisement has been withdrawn and action taken against the officer concerned. https://t.co/BgTcjJF4MF
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 23, 2020
Source: NDTV
