With the election heat boiling, reports
of Trinamool Congress supporters being attacked have come to light today
at a party meeting in Singla near Darjeeling. TMC leader and North
Bengal Development Minister Gautab Deb has alleged the attack was
carried out by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters.
The incident happened today when TMC
supporters were travelling to Singla to attend a party meeting. GJM
supporters allegedly pelted stones on the convoy carrying TMC supporters
and in the melee five were injured and some of the vehicles were
damaged. Interestingly the incident took place near Patleybas, where GJM
chief Bimal Gurung resides.
Deb after attending the meeting alleged,
"The GJM party is behind the attack on our supporter's vehicles near
Singla, today. Five of our supporters have sustained injures in the
attack, while some of our vehicles have also been damaged by stones
thrown by GJM supporters.”
"GJM definitely has a hand on the attack
of our supporters given that Gurung lives nearby and there is a party
office at Patleybas," the TMC minister added.
Asserting that GJM was resorting to
terror tactic to win the up-coming LS election, Deb said he would file
an FIR and also write to the Election Commission of India (ECI) about
the incident.
Meanwhile, GJM chief Bimal Gurung has
completely denied the allegations saying it was conspiracy by the ruling
party using the state machinery against GJM to win the election. "This
is nothing but a TMC conspiracy to put the blame on us for anything that
happens here in the Hills. TMC basically wants to ensure that GJM is
trapped in legal hurdles to divert our focus from the up-coming
election. Whatever happened today was staged by TMC themselves," the GJM
president countered.
He also condemned the state government’s
directives to remove his bodyguards and pilot. "Being the chief
executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, I hold a post
equal to that of a Cabinet ranked officer, but it has come to my
knowledge the state government wants to remove my pilot and bodyguards
because of an ECI rule. I will definitely abide by the rule provided it
exists, but I wonder how other ministers are moving around with pilot
and bodyguards," pointed out the GJM leader.
On Friday, police arrested Bimal Darjee,
a founding member and GJM’s central committee leader from Tindharia in
Kurseong. Police cited the arrest was part of the over 600 pending
cases. A Darjeeling court also rejected the anticipatory bail plea of
the GJM president moved on March 5, in connection with the Madan Tamang
murder case.(EOIC)