Ghisingh leaves Pintail,likely to be in Kolkata or Delhi

Siliguri, Feb 22 (UNI) Gorkha National Liberation Front chief Subash Ghisingh today left Pintail village guest house here and was likely to go to Kolkata or New Delhi.

''Mr Subash Ghisingh has left the guest house and arrived at the Bagdogra airport,'' North Bengal IGP R J S Nalwa confirmed.

''He is most likely to go to Kolkata and from there he may take a flight to New Delhi,'' Mr Nalwa said, without divulging details saying that the movement of Mr Ghisingh had been kept a secret for security reasons.

The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Chairman, who led the movement in thee hills for last 21 years, had been kept confined in Pintail village since the last five days as he was denied entry into Darjeeling following protests by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) activists against the Sixth Schedule status for the hills instead of statehood.

Meanwhile, the indefinite general strike called by the GJM members at Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong entered the third day today.

At least eleven GJM activists, including its Sukna president Bishal Chetri, went on a hunger strike near the guest house yesterday and another 47 were arrested but later released on bail.

The arrested GJM supporters, including its Central Committee member Bimal Dorjee, had descended the plains here to continue with their indefinite hunger strike.

North Bengal DIG D T Lepcha said the activists continued to protest, defying the imposition of Section 144 CrPC, which was lifted this morning.

No untoward incidents were reported, he added saying that the demonstration was peaceful.

The Hills district was in a turmoil after Mr Ghisingh struck a deal with the Centre by which the hills would be given a Sixth Schedule status instead of statehood.

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