TMC govt is trying to eliminate Gurung, alleges Bengal BJP chief

KOLKATA: The Mamata Banerjeeled West Bengal government wants to eliminate Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung just as it killed Maoist leader Kishenji, alleged BJP Bengal president Dilip Ghosh.

Ghosh made the accusation a few hours after police said Gurung narrowly escaped on Friday when they raided an area about 20km from Darjeeling that triggered a gunbattle in which a police officer was killed. Police also arrested a man in Darjeeling on Saturday for his suspected role in the incident. Sources said he had links with the Gorkhaland Personal force, a GJM wing.

Communist Party of India (Maoist) Politbureau member Koteshwara Rao alias Kishenji, who was spearheading Maoist operations i n Jangalmahal region, was killed in an encounter in 2011. “Earlier, after the party used Kishenji, the government killed him. After using Chhatradhar Mahato, the government has thrown him behind bars. Now they are trying to eliminate Gurung as well,” Ghosh alleged.

The GJM is an ally of the BJPled NDA. Ghosh’s remarks triggered sharp reactions from TMC leaders, who described the statement as “sheer nonsense”.

TMC leader Gautam Deb said, “He is speaking nonsense. It is not the job of the government to shoot someone dead. I find it useless to respond to his remarks.”

CHILD RIGHTS BODY SUMMONS GJM CHIEF

The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights has summoned Gurung for “repeated gross violation of child rights”. The body took suo motu cognisance of an incident where GJM supporters were seen “ransacking” a car ferrying schoolchildren on September 15. “This is a repeat offence by the GJM. We had sent them a letter earlier as well ... We have summoned them on October 23,” chairperson Ananya Chakraborti said.