GJM team arrives to hold talks with CM

Kolkata/Santiniketan, Feb 27 (UNI) A seven-member delegation of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), led by its chief Bimal Gurung, arrived here today to hold talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to end the present impasse in Darjeeling hills.

The GJM has been agitating against the proposed Sixth Schedule status to Darjeeling hills and demanding a separate statehood.

The party was also demanding immediate removal of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) chief Subash Ghisingh.

Talking to mediapersons at the NSCBI airport here, Mr Gurung said Mr Ghisingh should stay out of the Darjeeling hills for the sake of peace.

''Let him stay at Shantiniketan. The hills will remain peaceful without him,'' Mr Gurung said after being informed that the GNLF chairman had left for Santiniketan in Bolpur district this morning.

Mr Ghisingh was in Kolkata since February 22 after fleeing Pintail village guest house, where GJM supporters had confined him after being denied entry to the hills.

Referring to his proposed talks with the Chief Minister at Writers' Building, the GJM chief reiterated that they would stick to their demand for a separate Gorkhaland, adding they had come here on a formal invitation from the West Bengal government.'' Meanwhile, a report from Santiniketan said Mr Ghisingh arrived there at about 1600 hrs for security reasons.

He was escorted by the West Bengal police and Special Branch team.

Sources informed that the GNLF chief might stay there for a few days.

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