An all-party meeting called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is being held in the Darjeeling hills, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), Congress and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) staying away, as the indefinite bandh entered the 10th day Monday, paralysing normal life.
The all party meeting is being held to determine the future of the movement to demand Gorkhaland on the lines of Telangana and in view of chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday declaring it illegal and to call it off within 72-hours.
The chief minister had also mentioned the Kolkata high court order to the state government to maintain normalcy in the hills.
GJM president Bimal Gurung, general secretary Roshan Giri and other top leaders were present at the meeting.
The all party meeting is being attended by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), All India Gorkha League, and small parties Hill Congress, Gorkha Nirman Parishad and the Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) among others.
Altogether 16 GJM supporters, including top ones, were arrested since Sunday night, police sources said.
GTA councillor Kalyan Dewan was picked up from Kalimpong as also GJM trade union leader Sumir Tirua who were among the 16 arrested taking the total number of arrests to 184.
Superintendent of police Kunal Agarwal said that another five companies of the CRPF would be arriving in Darjeeling from Assam to bolster the five companies already there.
The GJM has ruled out negotiations with the state government and insisted on talks only with the Centre.