Tension built up in Darjeeling Hills even as alleged Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters pelted stones at a procession of Trinamool Congress workers heading for a rally to be addressed by ruling party’s lok Sabha candidate Baichung Bhutia.
While Gautam Deb, the State Minister in charge of North Bengal said the State would be forced to take stern action against hooligans, GJM leadership retorted such threats would only alienate the ruling party further from the people. The chemistry between the Hill outfit and the Trinamool deteriorated after the former struck an alliance with the BJP deciding to support its candidate SS Ahluwalia from Darjeeling parliamentary constituency.
In addition GJM chief Bimal Gurung extended his party’s support to the BJP candidates of neighbouring Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri seats which jointly have more than a lakh Gorkha votes. According to sources the Trinamool is more concerned about Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar seats in the wake of GJM decision to back BJP. This, at a time when the State was witnessing a four-cornered contest.
“The Government is after our top leaders so that the people get panicky and do not come out to vote but this will not augur well for Trinamool as people of this reason are very sensitive and conscious. They are watching every move of this Government. The more they take such coercive measures the more the people will get alienated from them,” said Prabha Chhetri, a senior GJM leader, adding, “the people would now come down on the roads to protest against the dictatorial attitude of the Government.”
Her statement came almost in tandem with the stone-pelting incident in Darjeeling. “By poking the Gorkhas this Government is shooting in its foot. They feel the consequences soon.” Things took a turn for the worse after GJM central committee member Bimal Dorjee was arrested on Friday in connection with the murder of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang a couple of years ago. Meanwhile, senior police officers in Darjeeling said arrest warrants were still pending against more than 800 GJM men in various cases and actions could soon be taken against them. Among those facing arrest were Bimal Gurung and his wife Asha Gurung.