Residences attacked in hills in Bengal, tension prevails

Siliguri, Oct 15 (UNI) Unknown persons today ganged up to launch attacks at a few residences under Kalimpong sub-division under West Bengal's Darjeeling district.

Police informed that the miscreants inflicted damage on the dwelling units of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League(ABGL) Kalimpong unit's president Pratap Khati and former Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leader Basant Singh, who was expelled from the party three months back.

While the former had his car damaged during the attack, the latter's scooter was torched, police said adding the doors and windows were broken in both the houses and attempts were made to set the abodes into fire.

The miscreants also attacked the residence of one Tarun Gorkha.

Meanwhile, the ABGL held the GJM responsible for the attacks, which was rubbished by the latter's assistant general secretary Raju Pradhan.

ABGL president Madan Tamang alleged that the the GJM was inspiring anarchism in the hills, emulating the trend exhibited earlier by the GNLF.

Meanwhile, the GJM issued a diktat imposing that people hailing from different communities in the hills should sport their traditional costumes.

As a result, inks were spilled over the dresses that deviated the ''norm'' and the number of victims was 12 in Darjeeling.

Exhibiting defence in face of public uproar, Mr Pradhan said a GJM team went to probe into the ink-spilling incident under the directive of its central committee and found that the party was not involved in the act.

Furthermore, the attacks at the residences had bred political tensions in the hills, with the police estimating that the incidents were in response to the leaflets vilifying GJM president Bimal Guroong, which were circulated by an unknown outfit.

Furthermore, the CPI(M)'s trade union wing CITU and the drivers at Siliguri had voiced their protest against the GJM's enforcement of ''GL'' in the number plates, threatening that no vehicles would ply towards the hills from the town.

The CITU had also called for a convention, in this regard.

UNI XC SB/src2046