In further evidence of the growing hostility between the Mamata Banerjee government and the GJM, the three MLAs of the hills party have written to Speaker of the state Assembly to allot them seats on the Opposition benches. So far, the GJM MLAs have been occupying seats on the treasury benches.
“The state government is trying to crush our legitimate movement in a ruthless manner so we have decided to keep a distance with the ruling party. Our MLAs Harka Bahadur Chhetri, Rohit Sharma and Trilok Dewan have written to the Speaker seeking seats on the Opposition benches in the House,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said.
Mr Giri reiterated his party’s demand and said that the GJM was willing to talk to governor M.K. Narayanan over the Gorkhaland issue.
The state police, meanwhile, continued its crackdown in the hills arresting nearly two dozen GJM leaders and workers in the past 24 hours. With these arrests the total number of those arrested reached 445.
Significantly, the GJM leadership’s efforts to mobilise support of other hill parties received a jolt on Saturday when Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) pulled out of the newly-constituted Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee.
The ABGL was not happy with the GJM leaders’ refusal to continue in the GTA and at the same time carrying on the separate statehood movement. “ Bimal Gurung has resigned as the chief executive of the GTA but the other 45 members have not yet resigned. We will not remain in the joint committee unless all these members also quit GTA,” an ABGL leader said.
Meanwhile, claiming that historically Darjeeling was never a part of Bengal, Bimal Gurung on Saturday said that those opposed to the Gorkhaland movement were only strengthening the statehood movement.