Didi identifying land to house those not in Assam NRC: Gurung

SILIGURI: Fugitive Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Bimal Gurung has accused West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of “secretly identifying” land in Darjeeling to accommodate people excluded from the final draft list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

“Settling illegal Bangladeshis, who have been excluded from NRC in Assam, creates a national security threat,” warned Gurung, a former Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief executive, in a statement issued from his hideout late Saturday.

Anit Thapa, a leader of rival Binoy Tamang-led GJM faction and GTA vice-chairman, accused Gurung of misleading the people.

He said Gurung been hiding away for over a year just to save his life.

“He has left people to suffer. More importantly, after himself being involved in subversive activities, he has no right to talk about national security. He is trying to mislead people in the hills.”

TMC’s Darjeeling president and Mirik municipality chairman LB Rai dismissed Gurung’s allegations. “He is unnecessarily trying to make things murkier.”

The Tamang faction has echoed chief minister Banerjee’s allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre was trying to create turmoil through the NRC. According to it, nearly one lakh Gorkhas have been excluded from the draft.

Gurung has been on the run since being booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for violence during the last round of agitation for statehood that rocked Darjeeling in June last year. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha split following a threemonth-long bandh.

The Tamang faction took control of the party’s larger section and is currently running the GTA, a semi-autonomous administrative body, with the state government’s backing.

Gurung’s statement is being seen as an attempt to seek relevance as the TMC seeks to wrest the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat from the BJP, which won in 2014 because of the GJM’s support.