Gangtok, May 15: Attempts were made to set on fire vehicles belonging to the president and the convener of the Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad in two separate incidents last night.

In both the cases, the Parishad has accused the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) of the crimes.

The Maruti Gypsy of A.D. Subba, the president of the Parishad, with registration number SK 02 1176 was already burning when a passing police team doused the flames just in time. The car had been parked in front of Subba’s house at Daragaon, Tadong.

Almost at the same time, in Ranipul, 10km downhill from here, an alert police team spotted a lighted bottle lamp with petrol inside and the wick burning below the fuel tank of Bharat Basnett’s Maruti WagonR with registration number SK 02 5537.

Separate FIRs have been lodged at the Sadar police station here and at Ranipul. In the case of Subba’s car, the Parishad has named SDF leader Beg Bahadur Rai and members of the youth wing of the ruling party as suspects.

Vehicle burning seems to have emerged as a trend in Sikkim politics in recent times with 18 of them having been set ablaze this year.

“The crimes committed on the eve of State Day only prove that there is no democracy in Sikkim despite 33 years having passed since the state opted for it and merged with the Indian union,” said Subba.

The spokesperson of the SDF, K. T Gyaltshen, has denied the allegations.

A message issued for State Day by chief Minister Pawan Chamling read: “The SDF is like the Rock of Gibraltar, which will safeguard the safety and interest of the Sikkimese people against all evil designs of the anti-development and anti-progress (sic) people.”