The ex-Chief Minister said that President's Rule should be imposed in Sikkim. (FILE)
Stones were thrown at former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling's convoy in Gangtok on Monday when he was returning from the assembly, triggering clashes between supporters of the ruling SKM and the opposition SDF.
A huge number of Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) supporters from all across the state had gathered in Gangtok as Chamling went to the assembly on the first day of the Budget session after hiatus of almost three years.
Tensions ran high as a large number of Sikkim Krantakari Morcha (SKM) supporters also gathered in the state capital.
When Mr Chamling was returning from the assembly, which was adjourned till Tuesday over the death of former chief minister BB Gurung, stones were hurled at his convoy in Namnang, police said.
Several cars in the cavalcade were damaged, while some SDF supporters were also injured, leading to a flare-up, they said.
Later, when SDF supporters went to the Sadar police station to file a complaint about the incident, clashes broke out with SKM supporters, police said.
Several people were injured in the clashes with police managing to separate the two groups and somewhat control the situation. Both sides raised slogans against each other as the security personnel stood in between.
The injured persons were admitted to the STNM hospital for treatment.
Addressing the press, Mr Chamling alleged that the violence was instigated by the top leadership of the SKM.
He said that President's Rule should be imposed in Sikkim, and a memorandum would be submitted to the governor over the demand.
"In SKM's governance, there is no rule of law in the state," he said.
Mr Chamling, who served as the chief minister of the state for five consecutive terms from 1994 to 2019, stopped attending the assembly since June 2019 after he was heckled in the House.
However, he recently announced that he will start attending the assembly to expose the "misdeeds" and "corruption" of the Prem Singh Tamang-led SKM government.
Police complaints were lodged by both parties over the incidents of violence.
SKM denied any involvement in stone-pelting and claimed that its supporters were attacked by members of the opposition party without any provocation.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)