Darjeeling, April 10: GNLF
activists today alleged that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters led by
Bimal Gurung attacked them at Jorebungalow near here when both sides
were returning from separate public meetings.
Today, the GNLF held its first public meeting in the hills after nearly three years in Chowk Bazar.
The GNLF meeting
got over by 3pm and party leaders alleged that Morcha supporters
returning from the BJP meeting in Siliguri attacked four vehicles
carrying GNLF activists at Jorebungalow, 10km from here, around 4.30pm.
Phur Temba Bhutia,
the GNLF’s chief convenor of Sukhiapokhria constituency, said: “We were
returning after the meeting and there was a traffic jam. (Morcha chief)
Bimal Gurung suddenly got off his car and snatched the vehicle key from
our driver. The others damaged our car.”
The GNLF has filed
an FIR against Gurung, P.T. Ola, a GTA Sabha member, Priyabardan Rai, a
youth leader, and Chandan Yolmo, a Morcha youth leader from
Jorebungalow.
Binay Tamang,
assistant secretary of the Morcha, said the allegation was baseless.
“This is being stage-managed by the GNLF and the TMC because they have
realised that they will lose. Gurung had already reached his residence
in Darjeeling and Ola, Yolmo and Rai had just started from Siliguri to
go to Darjeeling when the GNLF is claiming its supporters were
attacked.”
The GNLF is
supporting Trinamul’s Bhaichung Bhutia from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha
seat and today, the ruling party filed a general diary with Jorebungalow
police after the alleged attack. Gurung’s name was not mentioned in the
complaint.
Today, the GNLF
demanded that the DGHC be revived to replace GTA. “Till the Sixth
Schedule status is conferred, the DGHC must be revived as it was
achieved after a lot of bloodshed. The Sixth Schedule status will bring
unity among Gorkhas. The oppressed would become rulers. The GTA is a
toothless body,” said GNLF Darjeeling branch committee convener, M.G.
Subba.
Party chief Subash Ghisingh, who is in Darjeeling now, did not attend today’s meeting.(TT)