Tension between Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
supporters and those of the Trinamool Congress in the hills seems to be
mounting with each passing day. The TMC today alleged Morcha supporters
on Tuesday torched the house of a party supporter named Dhan Bahadur
Tamang at Katarey in Badamtam, about 18km from Darjeeling town.
The incident that occurred late in the
night saw the two-storeyed wooden house of Tamang (57), a driver by
profession, going up in flames along with his vehicle.
”It was around 9:45 last night when my
house was set on fire by GJM supporters. I spotted two Morcha supporters
scampering away from my house, but there could have been more of them.
Neighbours tried to douse the flames but the fire was too strong and
consequently my entire house along with my vehicle got reduced to ashes.
The total loss I incurred was about Rs35-36 lakh,” said Tamang.
He said the vehicle was his only means
of earning to support his family. Tamang was with his wife Maya Tamang
(38) at home when the incident took place. The couple has a son who is
studying in Kolkata. Tamang is the sole earning member of the family and
now he has sustained burn injuries in his right hand.
“I used to lease my vehicle whenever the
TMC held meetings in the area and GJM supporters had been threatening
me ever since. This was why they have destroyed my house,” said Tamang,
adding he has filed an FIR against two Morcha supporters, Sanjay Pradhan
and Manoj Subba, in the Darjeeling police station.
When contacted, GJM leader Deo Prakash
Pradhan, who is the GTA sabashad from the Lebong-Badamtam area, said,
“The allegations are baseless as the Morcha had nothing to do with the
incident. The TMC is only trying to defame us by making such
allegations.”
Darjeeling SP Akilesh Chatturvedi said, “We have lodged a complaint and investigations are on into the incident.(EOIC)