Bimal Gurung not to appear on October 30

Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung will not make a public appearance on October 30 as he had announced earlier.

In a WhatsApp message on the party's group on Saturday, Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said Gurung had been advised against making the public appearance lest it might give the Bengal government "an excuse" to jeopardise his chances of attending the tripartite talks with the Centre.

"We have been informed that the dates for talks with the central government will be announced very soon," Giri said. The Telegraph had on Friday quoted an apolitical source in Delhi who said the Centre was looking to involve both the Gurung and Binay Tamang camps of the Morcha for the proposed talks.

Describing the current situation as "a critical juncture for the Gorkhaland movement", Giri said: "Our President Shri. Bimal Gurung has been advised not to make the proposed public appearance on the 30th of October, lest it gives the West Bengal Government an opportunity and excuse to jeopardize the upcoming talks. Respecting the advise, our President has agreed not to make the public appearance he had announced earlier."

On October 12 evening, Gurung, who has been on the run for the past few months, had said: "I have decided to come out on October 30 and people from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Terai, Dooars have to hit the streets in lakhs."

On the wee hours of the next morning, the police had raided camps believed to be housing Gurung and his aides on the banks of the Little Rangeet river.