Darjeeling district Left Front set to launch agitation in Siliguri

The Darjeeling district Left Front is all set to launch a stir in Siliguri on 14 November over ten separate issues, including the demand for holding immediate elections to the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP). The arrest of north Bengal development mini-ster Gautam Deb for his alleged assault on common people is also on the agenda. Left Front leaders will also highlight the multi-crore scam in the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) and demand the arrest of Trinamul leaders for their alleged involvement in the Saradha scam.  “We will organize a mass protest rally on several issues on 14 November. We will demand immediate elections to the SMC and the SMP. “Besides, there are several issues and dem-ands including the arrest of culprits involved in the SJDA scam and those involved in the Saradha scam, and the arrest of Gautam Deb for ‘bullying’ people,” former minister and convenor of the Darjeeling district LF, Asok Bhattacharya, said.  “Having failed to take in criticism, minister Gautam Deb has started send-ing legal notices to those who are critical of him. “I know he may send another legal notice to me if I say, he is a gang-ster. But I must call him a gangster,” he said. He also claimed that the state government and the state election commi-ssion had not shown any interest in conducting SMC and SMP polls.  “We suspect that the state will not  conduct the elections now as it fears drubbing of the ruling party candidates in the Siliguri sub-division,” Mr Bhattacharya said, adding, “When the state government had appointed an administrator in the SMC, it was mentioned that the elections would  be held after six months.” Addressing media persons, CPI-M state committee member Mr Jibesh Sarkar said, “We do not understand why the nor-th Bengal development minister is trying to suppress fa-cts about the dengue menace in Siliguri.”(sns)