Siliguri: Darjeeling MP S.S. Ahluwalia on Thursday tossed a
challenge at Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Binay Tamang, asking him to
contest at the next Parliament elections and prove his popularity.
The
Union minister of state also asked chief minister Mamata Banerjee as
why the state government was not conducting polls to the GTA.
"If
Binay Tamang enjoys good support and has popularity in the hills, I
challenge him to contest the upcoming Parliament elections and prove it.
If he contests, there is no need for a person like me to face him.
Anybody from the BJP will defeat him," said the MP.
Such assertion from the MP follows recent negative reactions from the Morcha and its frontal organisations.
While Ahluwalia was here on a visit last week, Morcha supporters had
stood near Bagdogra airport and waved black flags as his vehicle moved
to the airport. They also shouted "go back" slogans. Also,
anti-Ahluwalia posters were put across the hills.
The Gorkha
Janmukti Yuva Morcha leaders who had a meeting here earlier this week
said they would hit the streets if the MP planned to visit the hills.
"These
are insignificant issues and we are not much perturbed. I would like to
know why the chief minister, who has put nominated persons in the GTA,
is not taking steps to conduct elections. There should be an elected
body in the GTA. The elections are not being held because they will have
to go to people for a mandate. An impartial election will prove whether
they have mass support at all," added the MP.
He also took a dig
at the district police officers of Darjeeling and Kalimpong for not
letting his party carry the "Asthi Kalash" of AB Vajpayee to the hills.
"We
had planned to put the 'Asthi Kalash' at Chowrasta in Darjeeling and at
a venue in Kalimpong. However, our requests were turned down on flimsy
grounds. It is unfortunate that people of the hills were deprived of a
chance to pay homage to the former Prime Minister. We feel it is a
political decision," said Ahluwalia.
On Friday, he said, a rally
would be conducted from Baghajatin Park of Siliguri to carry the ashes
of Vajpayee to the Mahananda river for immersion.
Binay Tamang could not be contacted. Calls and messages made to him went unanswered.
The Telegraph
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