Police baton charge protesters demanding Gorkhaland

Siliguri, Apr 9 : The West Bengal Police resorted to baton charge against protesters demanding separate state for Gorkhas in Siliguri on Wednesday.

The members of Bharatiya Gorkha Bhutpurba Sainik Morch, an organisation of former servicemen took out a protest march in support of their demand for a separate Gorkhaland.

The District Administration has denied them entry in the town to carry out the protest march.

However, the situation turned ugly when police baton charged the protesters when they continued the protest and tried to enter the city.

"The West Bengal police has baton charged us. But the worst thing is that they have also beaten widows of war veterans," said Shering Bhutia, a former Army personnel.

According to reports, some security personnel have also sustained injuries during the clash.

The Administration said that they would take appropriate action after proper investigation of the incident.

"They (protesters) told us that the police resorted to baton charge. We have got the recording of the incident and after examining that we will take appropriate action," said Rajesh Pandey, District Magistrate of Siliguri.

The Gorkha people of the region started their demand for a separate Gorkhaland in 1980 and initiated an agitation for a separate State.

The demand was dropped as the Central Government agreed to confer partial autonomy in 1988 for the Nepalese-speaking people.

The Central Government, the State government of West Bengal and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) signed an agreement paving the way for setting up the Autonomous Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (ADGHC) in 1988.

ANI