Sikkim's opposition leader and founder president of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) Prem Singh Tamang a.k.a PS Golay was released from Rongyek Prison after completing his one-year jail term on Friday.
He was convicted of misappropriation of government funds while being a minister in incumbent Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government between 1994 and 1999. Speaking to the media after his release, PS Golay said: "Jail term has been a blessing in disguise for me and taught me a lot. I respected the court's order and surrendered myself. People of Sikkim know who is corrupt and who is not. Those who have been corrupt are in power today. I would spend my time serving mother Sikkim to free its people from the shackles of dictatorship that we are bound with. I don't care even if I am killed for doing that."
Golay was sentenced to one year prison by a lower court in December 2016 which was upheld by Sikkim High Court in July last year for misappropriating government funds worth Rs 9.5 lakh meant for distribution of cows to beneficiaries under a government scheme during his tenure as animal husbandry minister in SDF government between 1994 and 1999.
Hitting out at Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, PS Golay said: "Sikkim has been destroyed because it has been modelled on one person's dream. We want to build Sikkim on the dreams of Sikkimese people and we are ready for the battle of 2019. The ruling party's attempts to buy votes would not succeed this time. I do not wish to be the Chief Minister but the question is will SDF succeed in saving the Chief Minister's chair in 2019?."
The Himalayan state is going to Assembly elections next year. Apart from Golay, former Indian football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia's Hamro Sikkim Party will also be in the election fray. Reacting to Golay's release, SDF spokesperson KT Gyaltsen said: "His release is a process of law. He was jailed for one year in a corruption case. As far as 2019 Assembly election is concerned, SDF doesn't consider its enemies as weak. More parties have come up in recent times and we are yet to see which emerge as our opposition in 2019. We believe that Sikkimese people would bring back SDF to power in the Assembly elections next year."
A founding member of SDF in 1993, Golay resigned from the party in September 2013 alleging nepotism and lack of leadership and floated SKM on October 5, 2013. He led SKM to victory in 10 of the 32 seats of the Assembly in 2014 Assembly elections. However, seven of the elected SKM MLAs later joined SDF. Golay represents Upper Burtuk seat and is the senior most legislator in the state after Pawan Kumar Chamling.