Even as Gorkha Janmukti Morcha observed Black Sunday in Darjeeling protesting against Saturday’s alleged police firing that killed three Morcha supporters, party chief Bimal Gurung rejected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claims that the Hill outfit had links with the terror groups of the North East.
“The claims made by Mamata Banerjee are baseless and is aimed at diverting the attention from the main issue of Gorkhaland and State oppression on the Morcha supporters,” Gurung said from an undisclosed location.
He also asked the people of the Hills to unite against the “torture being perpetuated by the Trinamool Congress Government by descendingon the streets from every area and every household and protest against the police firing that martyred three young people of the Gorkha community.”
Three persons were on Saturday killed when the police opened fire at Morcha rallyists though the Chief Minister denied the allegations saying the police had not opened fire.
In fact ADG, law and Order Anuj Sharma accused the GJM supporters for firing at the police. Out of 36 policemen injured in the violent agitation three received bullet injuries police sources said. One senior police officer, an Assistant Commandant of the IRB was grievously injured after he was attacked with a Khukri a typical knife kept by the Gorkhas.
Darjeeling continued to remain tense on Sunday with thousands of people taking part in protest rallies with the corpse of the dead persons. Some violent incidents also took place in areas like Gorubathan where two panchayat offices were burnt down and Joygaon where a forest beat office was set on fire, police sources said.
When asked as to whether the GJM was ready to talk to the State Government local MlA Amar Singh Ray said “there is no question of talking to the State Government. We will only talk to the Centre and that too if the agenda is a separate Gorkhaland.”
Accusing the mainstream political parties of using the Gorkha population as tools for their own political gains he said “we have become pawns in a game between the Centre and the State Governments.
Now a time has come when a concrete decision has to be taken on the issue of separate Gorkhaland. The movement cannot backtrack from here.”
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister had apprised the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of the situation, he said appealing to the people to “remain calm and peaceful. Nobody should resort to violence.”