Mamata’s Kalimpong visit proves GJM is on back foot: Deb

The district Trinamool Congress is mulling at countering the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on the political field. In a press conference today at the TMC party office in Bidhan Bhawan, district TMC president Gautam Deb said, “The people of Kalimpong have proved by attending the programme organised by the Lepchas they no longer support the dictatorship of the Morcha. They came out on the roads ignoring the ‘ghar bhitra janta’ (public remaining indoors) programme called by the GJM.”

He added, “The historical Kalimpong convention has made it evident that the people of the hills will not support the fatwa of the Morcha.”

Deb also made a veiled admission that the success of Mamata Banerjee’s Kalimpong visit has supplied oxygen to the party. “We will be organising rallies and meetings in Darjeeling, Kursheong, Mirik, Panighata and other places in the Hills,” said the TMC leader.

Commenting on reports about Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde proposing to convene a meeting with the GJM, Deb said, “During the formation of the GTA, the chief minister had clarified no meeting could be conducted on the Darjeeling issue in the absence of state government representatives. But the move of the home minister is a matter of concern.”(EOI)