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.
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.
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.