Terai Dooars: Police fire to disperse bandh supporters, 2 injured in Dooars

Jalpaiguri (WB), Apr 23 (PTI) Police today fired in the air and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a mob at Banarhat when bandh supporters clashed with locals and businessmen at several places in Jalpaiguri district, while two persons were injured in stone throwing, official sources said. Trouble started Banarhat when bandh supporters directed local businessmen owing allegience to Adivasi Bikash Parishad opposing the bandh to shut shops. When the businessmen resisted, bandh activists set ablaze six shops, police said. In Odlabari, cars and other vehicles were damaged in stone throwing between bandh supporters and their opponents, police said, adding, the bandh supporters also set fire to a truck at Red Bank tea garden in Odlabari. Two persons were injured in the stone-throwing at Odlabari market, police said. A large contingent of police has rushed to the spot to control the situation, sources said. The bandh has elicited total response at Kalchini and Jaigaon in the district, sources said. However, most of the tea gardens are functioning normally, the officials said. An indefinite bandh was called in the Terai-Dooars region from today by the Terai Dooars Coordination Committee backed by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and the John Barla-led faction of the Adivasi Bikash Parishad. The Terai Committee has demanded inclusion of several mouzas (local land revenue areas) from Terai and Dooars regions of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts of northern West Bengal in the proposed Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA). PTI COR AMD CR