Kolkata, Apr 23 : Expressing concern over incidents of violence in Terai-Dooars during bandh called by pro-Gorkhaland outfits, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today appealed for maintaining restraint and peace in the hills.
Interacting with newspersons at Writers' Buildings, the Chief Minister said the government would abide by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration(GTA) and not allow violence to continue in Darjeeling or in Terai-Dooars.
Ms Banerjee also urged the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, extending support to the bandh, to 'act in accordance with the GTA'.
"I appeal to both the factions to be restrained and not to indulge in violence disturbing peace in the hills," Ms Banerjee observed.
She said the government had formed a high-power committee to review inclusion of areas belonging to Terai and Dooars in the GTA, election to which was to be held in June.
"People of Darjeeling and Terai-Dooars have their respective political faiths since long but that should not be exploited to engineer violence in the hills," the Chief Minister maintained.
According to reports, police fired teargas shells to disperse two warring groups at Chamurchi More in the Dooars and arrested some 60 activists elsewhere in the Terai during an indefinite bandh sponsored by the pro-Gorkhaland outifts disrupting life in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts.
John Barla-floated Terai Dooars Joint Action Coordination Committee is sponsoring the bandh with active support from the Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
They are demanding right to hold meetings and rallies in areas of the Terai and Dooars in Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
However, Terai Dooars Joint Action Committee opposed the bandh saying it would not allow any space to GTA. (UNI)
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