Kolkata: Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung softened his stand on Saturday and sent a message that his representatives will take part in an all-party meet with the West Bengal government on September 12.
His statement came a day after Bengal police allegedly entered Sikkim – without informing the neighbouring state – and conducted raids at Namchi to arrest him and other GJM leaders from a resort.
"Our party members Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa cheated us and joined hands with the Bengal government. Both of them were removed from the party today. They are traitors. I have proof that how they along with few others conspired against us to derail the Gorkhaland movement," he said.
On the look-out notice issued against him by Bengal police, Bimal said, "I will challenge the look-out notice in the court. This a conspiracy against me. The Bengal government want peace in the hills but I have doubt about their intention. We are not to going to step back from our demand of separate Gorkhaland".
Reacting to the allegations, Binay Tamang, on the other hand, said that his removal from the party was unethical as he had attended the meeting with the Bengal government on Gurung’s instructions. "They removed me because Rooshan Giri and Bimal Gurung are now suffering from inferiority complex because of my popularity in the Hills," he said.
"On Friday, he (Gurung) said why I agreed to attend the next all-party meet on September 12 and today he himself said that he will send GJM representatives to attend that meeting in Siliguri. I don’t understand the logic behind it. He himself is confused on what to do next. If he is agreed to attend the meeting – then why did they remove me from the party? I will go to court for justice," he said.
Meanwhile, chairman of Kurseong municipality, Krishna Limbu, was arrested on Friday for his alleged involvement in violating law and order in the Hills as the police stepped up its clampdown on the protest.
In the raid on the resort in Sikkim, GJM activist Dawa Bhutia was allegedly shot dead by the West Bengal CID. Close aides of Bimal Gurung were also arrested from Namchi area in South Sikkim.
Speaking to News18, SP (South Sikkim) Pratap Pradhan, said, "The Bengal CD officers entered Sikkim posing as tourists and later they arrested several GJM leaders and supporters without having any valid documents. One Dawa Bhutia was also killed in the operation. Officially they should have informed us before conducting any such operation."
He said that an FIR has been filed against Kalimpong SP Ajit Kumar Yadav and his team under section 302 IPC for killing Dawa Bhutia. "We are working on official formalities on how to examine Bengal police officers in this case," he added.
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