With the run-up to the elections drawing
closer everyday, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung today
appealed the ex-servicemen to vote for BJP while evoking the sentiments
of the ex-army men by reminding them of the police lathicharge on April
9, 2008.
Gurung in his social webpage post has
appealed all ex-servicemen to vote for BJP, while terming April 9 as the
"Blackest Day" for all Gorkhaland supporters. "I would like to appeal
all ex-servicemen to vote for the BJP so that we are able to convince
the coming BJP Government for a high level enquiry in this matter," the
post read.
Notably, on April 9, 2008 police
lathicharged former army men who were participating in a peaceful rally
at Darjeeling More in Siliguri under the banner of Bharatiya Gorkha
Bhutpurwa Sainik Morcha (BGBSM) for the separate statehood demand.
Several participants including women and senior ex-servicemen were
injured in the incident. Many believe the fresh Gorkhaland agitation
started due to this particular incident.
Despite the formation of a one-man
commission headed by M .L. Meena, the principal secretary of environment
and forest to investigate the matter, the government has yet to take
any action on the incident, Gurung further said.
Today, the BGBSM organized a rally from
Darjeeling More, where the lathicharge had taken place, to Milan More to
commemorate the incident. "Hundreds of participants attended a meeting
that was organized after the rally at Milan More. We are still angered
by the incident as we have not got justice after all these years. We
will certainly vote for the BJP, who we feel will give us justice when
they come to power," said Colonel (retired) Ramesh Allay, the BGBSM
president and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) deputy chief
executive.
According to Allay there are more than
twenty-seven thousand ex-servicemen voters in the three Hills
sub-divisions, excluding family members. "Despite all our effort the
state government has not taken any action and the one-man commission
never submitted his report. We even filed an RTI but to no avail. But
things are looking up with every chances of the BJP coming to power this
time in Delhi," the BGBSM president said.
Allay said a memorandum will also be
handed to Narendra Modi tomorrow with the demand. "We are grateful to
the BJP for including our demand for separate state in their election
manifesto. Tomorrow, the BJP prime ministerial candidate will address a
public meeting at Khaprail near Siliguri and on the occasion we will
submit a memorandum to him for our demand on a proper inquest into the
April, 2008 lathicharge," added the GTA deputy chief executive.(EOI)