GJM Leaders To Meet Rajnath to Bail Bimal Gurung Out of Mamata's Wrath

Kolkata: Cornered Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Chief Bimal Gurung will send a team of Morcha leaders to meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for his intervention to end the Darjeeling crisis.

The GJM Chief – who fled Bengal and is believed to be hiding in Sikkim – in an audio message said, “The Bengal government has framed me on several charges to suppress my voice. The charges are baseless. We want the central government to intervene as we have already met the state government (as advised by the Centre) and the result is unsatisfactory.”

He said, “Our demand of separate state is not yet fulfilled and the bandh in Darjeeling will only be lifted if we get Gorkhaland. Some people in GJM (Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa who were removed) cheated us and joined hands with the Bengal government. People of Darjeeling will punish them.”

Sources said those who are likely to meet Rajnath Singh are Swaraj Thapa, Kalyan Dewan (Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee convenor), Sarita Rai and Rohit Sharma. “We will request Rajnath ji for his intervention to help Bimal Gurung in his Gorkhaland movement specially when the state police has lodged several false cases against him without proper investigation,” a senior GJM leader said.

Speaking to News18, Sarita Rai said, “I have reached Delhi and others will be here soon. I met our Darjeeling MP, SS Ahluwalia ji to get an appointment with our Home Minister. We yet to get the appointment but hopeful that we will get it in a day or two.”

When asked if she discussed the Darjeeling issue with Ahluwalia, Sarita Rai said, “Yes, we did. But the final discussion will be with Rajnath ji and then we will brief media about the outcome.”

On the rift in GJM, she said, “The party is very much united. Few people tuned rebel but that does not going to derail our Gorkhaland movement. Majority of people in Darjeeling want Gorkhaland.”

The GJM is also planning to boycott the September 12 all-party meet in Siliguri to discuss the further course of action on Darjeeling.

Meanwhile, bandh continued in the hills and GJM organized rallies at several places against Binay Tamang for cheating the people of Darjeeling.