‘Bengal seeks to sabotage issue’

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Sidharth Bhatia [1]

Upping his ante, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung on Monday warned that if the situation took an ugly turn in the hills then the Mamata Banerjee government would be solely responsible for it.

“The Bengal government is trying to sabotage the indefinite bandh. I must remind them that it will be solely responsible for any consequences,” he added. Mr Gurung was speaking to the media in Kalimpong where he came to pay homage to a party worker Mangal Singh Rajput, who had self-immolated himself last week to press for a separate Gorkhaland demand.
Asserting to intensify the movement, the GJM chief threatened to disrupt power supply in the hills. He said that even government employees would be roped in to uproot lamp posts. Meanwhile, the GJM workers organised protest demonstration outside DM’s office and the district court on Monday morning.
The indefinite bandh entered third day on Monday. The shutdown remained total. The roads wore a deserted look. On the one hand, the GJM was hell bent on keeping the hills paralysed and on the other, the state government was equally determined to counter the bandh.
The state government has already issued the warning that the government employees who will not report for work will lose their salary. The state government has also sent five companies of Central para military forces including an all-women company.