Darjeeling, 23 May: North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb today said he will place a
demand with the high command of his party, Trinamul Congress, for more
paramilitary forces in Darjeeling Hills. He said reports of post-poll
clashes between his party men and those belonging to the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) have prompted him to make such a demand.
The Hills already has a large number of forces deployed at various places since the Gorkhaland agitation last year.
Mr Deb specifically pointed out to the recent incident in Katarey near Badamtam where a TMC supporter’s house and car were torched allegedly by GJMM workers.
The minister today visited Katarey and met the victim Dhan Bahadur Tamang, who lost all his belongings in the fire on 20 May.
The GJMM, has, however, denied it had a hand in the Badamtam incident, while the police are saying they are investigating the matter.
“Many of our supporters have been assaulted after the Lok Sabha elections. Attacks have been reported from Sinji and Kagey too, while one TMC supporter has been admitted in the Siliguri hospital,” Mr Deb said.
“The situation in the Hills is not normal. I will propose the party high command to deploy more paramilitary forces in the Hills,” he added.
According to the Darjeeling superintendent of police, four companies of Central Reserve Paramilitary Force (CRPF) and around 1000 other personnel of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), and others, are currently deployed in the Hills.
Mr Deb said his party high command has scheduled a meeting in Kolkata on 30 May, where senior members of the Darjeeling district TMC committee have been invited.
“The Hill committee is likely to get a shuffle,” said Mr Deb. Mr Deb’s reshuffle comment comes at a time when the ruling party lost the Darjeeling parliamentary election with almost 2 lakh votes.
The minister was, however, quick to add that the party's base, both in the Hills and the plains of the Darjeeling parliamentary constituency, has made good “progress” as compared to the last Lok Sabha elections in 2009.
Meanwhile, the Hill TMC is holding its district-level meeting at the Darjeeling Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Sammelan (GDNS) hall tomorrow, where Bhaichung Bhutia, the footballer-turned-politician and the TMC candidate for the recent election, is expected to show up.(Sns)
The Hills already has a large number of forces deployed at various places since the Gorkhaland agitation last year.
Mr Deb specifically pointed out to the recent incident in Katarey near Badamtam where a TMC supporter’s house and car were torched allegedly by GJMM workers.
The minister today visited Katarey and met the victim Dhan Bahadur Tamang, who lost all his belongings in the fire on 20 May.
The GJMM, has, however, denied it had a hand in the Badamtam incident, while the police are saying they are investigating the matter.
“Many of our supporters have been assaulted after the Lok Sabha elections. Attacks have been reported from Sinji and Kagey too, while one TMC supporter has been admitted in the Siliguri hospital,” Mr Deb said.
“The situation in the Hills is not normal. I will propose the party high command to deploy more paramilitary forces in the Hills,” he added.
According to the Darjeeling superintendent of police, four companies of Central Reserve Paramilitary Force (CRPF) and around 1000 other personnel of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), and others, are currently deployed in the Hills.
Mr Deb said his party high command has scheduled a meeting in Kolkata on 30 May, where senior members of the Darjeeling district TMC committee have been invited.
“The Hill committee is likely to get a shuffle,” said Mr Deb. Mr Deb’s reshuffle comment comes at a time when the ruling party lost the Darjeeling parliamentary election with almost 2 lakh votes.
The minister was, however, quick to add that the party's base, both in the Hills and the plains of the Darjeeling parliamentary constituency, has made good “progress” as compared to the last Lok Sabha elections in 2009.
Meanwhile, the Hill TMC is holding its district-level meeting at the Darjeeling Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Sammelan (GDNS) hall tomorrow, where Bhaichung Bhutia, the footballer-turned-politician and the TMC candidate for the recent election, is expected to show up.(Sns)