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GJM challenges W Bengal govt to prove allegations regarding the party’s Nepal and Kashmir links

Meanwhile the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the city sessions court to frame charges against GJM President Bimal Gurung and 21 others in the Madan Tamang murder case by August 17.

By Oneindia
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Darjeeling, July 20, 2017: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has challenged the West Bengal Government to prove their claims of Nepal and Kashmir links with the hill party.

Mamata Banerjee

A West Bengal intelligence agency report claimed that key GJM leaders were having telephonic conversations with persons in Nepal and Kashmir. The agency has claimed that the Nepal Maoists are aiding the ongoing agitation in the Darjeeling Hills. Hand-in-glove with the GJM these forces are carrying of arson and vandalizing in the Hills.

"They claim that I had a telephonic conversation with a person in Nepal on June 7 and that GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri also had a conversation with a person in Kashmir. What does this prove? Just mere allegations will not do. They have to make public from which number we had called? Who did we call and the content of the conversations. They have to provide material evidences. Mere fabricated allegations will not do" stated Binay Tamang; Asiistant Secretaqry, GJM.

Incidentally West Bengal Chief Minister along with alleging hand of North East insurgent outfits and Nepal Maoists in the ongoing agitation has also written a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh claiming China's involvement in the ongoing unrest in the Hills which she claimed is an attempt to destabilize the Siliguri corridor.

Tamang feels that it is a conspiracy to give the ongoing movement an anti-national color thereby derailing it. "If they have evidences against us they should immediately report to the Union Government for investigations" stated Tamang.
The GJM leader feels that people of the Darjeeling Hills have relatives in Nepal and it is not out of the way to have telephonic conversations with persons in Nepal. "CM Mamata Banerjee often calls up Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Does that mean that the CM has some links with Bangladeshi terror groups?" explained Tamang.

Meanwhile the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the city sessions court to frame charges against GJM President Bimal Gurung and 21 others in the Madan Tamang murder case by August 17.

The division bench comprising of acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty while hearing a PILs on the ongoing indefinite bandh in the Hills had earlier added the CBI in the case.

The division bench had asked the investigation agency to file an affidavit as to why the CBI has failed to take steps to ensure that GJM President Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha Gurung and several others accused in the killing of All India Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang is not present in Kolkata from the date of framing of charge in the case until completion of the trial, as was directed by another division bench of the high court.

Incidentally Madan Tamang had been brutally assassinated on May 21, 2010 at the Upper Clubside, Darjeeling while overseeing preparation of a public meeting. The case was handed over to the CBI.

In May 2015 the CBi submitted a charge sheet naming 54 persons including Bimal Gurung, Asha Gurung, Roshan Giri and BinayTamang. 22, including Gurung, Giri, Tamang had moved anticipatory bail pleas in the Calcutta high court.
A division bench headed by Justice Ashim Roy had in December 2016 had granted the Morcha leaders anticipatory bail but had specified that the trial against the accused would be conducted by a special CBI court in Calcutta and they would have to stay in the city (within the jurisdiction of Kolkata metropolitan police) from the time of framing of the charges and till the completion of trial.The framing of charges was to be initiated in February this year.

With a specific date fixed by the division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre on Wednesday would put Gurung and his men in a tight spot at a time when they are spearheading an agitation in the Hills. The division bench on Wednesday was hearing PILs against the indefinite bandh.

The next date of hearing of this case has been fixed on August 23 for the hearing on the PILs when the bench would also take a decision on the petitioners demands for initiating contempt proceedings against Gurung for flouting the court's orders on a ban on the bandh. The division bench had earlier declared the ongoing indefinite bandh as illegal.

"We will honour the orders of the court and act as per the court's directive. However our legal counsel is also looking into the Court's order and will direct us accordingly" added Binay Tamang.

On Thursday the Panchayat office in Lamahatta and the DFO office in Kurseong were torched.

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