A home-guard was set on fire and a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha trade union leader was found murdered in Darjeeling on Friday amidst incidents of arson on the eve of the indefinite bandh called in the hills to demand Gorkhaland on the lines of Telangana.
The home-guard was set on fire at Prakriyathong by 'miscreants' and was hospitalised, police sources said.
Suraj Tamang, a GJM trade union leader was found murdered at Hebong, about 8 km from here.
Police sources today said the body of Tamang had many wounds and he was probably killed last night.
The exact cause of death would be ascertained at the postmortem examination, the sources said.
The GJM leadership claimed that he was killed by the Trinamool Congress.
A forest bungalow at Takdha, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had put up during a visit to Darjeeling on January 9 this year was burnt down last night, the sources said.
A truck and an SUV were torched at Mongpo, while disused police booths at Ranglirangliyat and Rangamancha were set ablaze last night, the sources said.
GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri, who left for Delhi at the head of a six-member team, told reporters before his departure that the GJM was not responsible for the incidents of arson and put the blame on opposition parties in the hills.
He said that the indefinite bandh could be relaxed for a day or two for which GJM President Bimal Gurung would be consulted.
Superintendent of Police Kunal Agarwal said that one company of the CRPF arrived yesterday and four more companies would arrive in the hills.
Besides the CRPF, there were two companies of the Indian Reserve Force, five companies of the riot police and seven companies of the Rapid Action Force stationed in the hills.
Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress alleged that the Centre 'instigated' the trouble in Darjeeling following the decision to create a Telangana state and reiterated that there was no question of division of West Bengal.
"The Centre is instigating it for political purpose which is unfair and unethical," Trinamool Congress General Secretary Mukul Roy told reporters in Siliguri.
"Darjeeling is part and parcel of West Bengal. There is no question of division of Bengal. This is the stand of the party as well as of the state government," Roy, a close aide of the Trinamool Congress supremo said.
Congress denied that the Centre provided any instigation in the hills and the TMC was accusing it as it could not manage the situation now.
"The Centre did not give any instigation. They can't manage the situation and that is why they are accusing the Centre," WBPCC General Secretary Pradip Bhattacharya, MP, said.
Before leaving for Delhi, GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri accused the state government of bringing central forces to crush the GJM movement.
"The people are on the streets in support of their demand for Gorkhaland. The state government cannot stifle their voice. We want Gorkhaland. It is our legitimate and constitutional demand," the Morcha leader said.
North Bengal Hill Development minister Gautam Deb condemned the burning down last night of the forest bungalow at Takdha.
"All those involved will be arrested. We will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands," he said.
On the eve of the GJM-sponsored bandh, students of St Paul's School, North Point Boarding School and Dr Graham's Boarding School in Darjeeling town were sent home.
Rector of St Paul's Joy Halder said that of the 530 students, 430 were Indian, while the remaining 100 from France, Canada, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Thailand were yet to be sent home.
With people stocking up for the indefinite bandh, vegetables from Siliguri sent in 60 to 70 trucks were sold out by 10:00 am at the Chowkbazar, Sukhipokri bazar and Sonanda bazar, vendors said, adding that people could stock up rice and lentils.
The vendors said that rice which was normally sold for Rs 2400 to Rs 2600 per 100 kg was being sold at Rs3200.
The vendors said that kerosene was also unavailable, though LPG, which had been exempted from the purview of the bandh, was available.(DNA)
The home-guard was set on fire at Prakriyathong by 'miscreants' and was hospitalised, police sources said.
Suraj Tamang, a GJM trade union leader was found murdered at Hebong, about 8 km from here.
Police sources today said the body of Tamang had many wounds and he was probably killed last night.
The exact cause of death would be ascertained at the postmortem examination, the sources said.
The GJM leadership claimed that he was killed by the Trinamool Congress.
A forest bungalow at Takdha, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had put up during a visit to Darjeeling on January 9 this year was burnt down last night, the sources said.
A truck and an SUV were torched at Mongpo, while disused police booths at Ranglirangliyat and Rangamancha were set ablaze last night, the sources said.
GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri, who left for Delhi at the head of a six-member team, told reporters before his departure that the GJM was not responsible for the incidents of arson and put the blame on opposition parties in the hills.
He said that the indefinite bandh could be relaxed for a day or two for which GJM President Bimal Gurung would be consulted.
Superintendent of Police Kunal Agarwal said that one company of the CRPF arrived yesterday and four more companies would arrive in the hills.
Besides the CRPF, there were two companies of the Indian Reserve Force, five companies of the riot police and seven companies of the Rapid Action Force stationed in the hills.
Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress alleged that the Centre 'instigated' the trouble in Darjeeling following the decision to create a Telangana state and reiterated that there was no question of division of West Bengal.
"The Centre is instigating it for political purpose which is unfair and unethical," Trinamool Congress General Secretary Mukul Roy told reporters in Siliguri.
"Darjeeling is part and parcel of West Bengal. There is no question of division of Bengal. This is the stand of the party as well as of the state government," Roy, a close aide of the Trinamool Congress supremo said.
Congress denied that the Centre provided any instigation in the hills and the TMC was accusing it as it could not manage the situation now.
"The Centre did not give any instigation. They can't manage the situation and that is why they are accusing the Centre," WBPCC General Secretary Pradip Bhattacharya, MP, said.
Before leaving for Delhi, GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri accused the state government of bringing central forces to crush the GJM movement.
"The people are on the streets in support of their demand for Gorkhaland. The state government cannot stifle their voice. We want Gorkhaland. It is our legitimate and constitutional demand," the Morcha leader said.
North Bengal Hill Development minister Gautam Deb condemned the burning down last night of the forest bungalow at Takdha.
"All those involved will be arrested. We will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands," he said.
On the eve of the GJM-sponsored bandh, students of St Paul's School, North Point Boarding School and Dr Graham's Boarding School in Darjeeling town were sent home.
Rector of St Paul's Joy Halder said that of the 530 students, 430 were Indian, while the remaining 100 from France, Canada, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Thailand were yet to be sent home.
With people stocking up for the indefinite bandh, vegetables from Siliguri sent in 60 to 70 trucks were sold out by 10:00 am at the Chowkbazar, Sukhipokri bazar and Sonanda bazar, vendors said, adding that people could stock up rice and lentils.
The vendors said that rice which was normally sold for Rs 2400 to Rs 2600 per 100 kg was being sold at Rs3200.
The vendors said that kerosene was also unavailable, though LPG, which had been exempted from the purview of the bandh, was available.(DNA)
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