Gurung gets Shah call to attend NDA meet

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, April 9: BJP president Amit Shah has invited the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to attend a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance in New Delhi tomorrow, providing solace to the hill party at a time it is cornered by rivals on Gorkhaland issue.

Morcha president Bimal Gurung and assistant general secretary Binay Tamang will represent the Morcha at the meeting which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also.

Although Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri had already reached Delhi to take part in the session, he left for the hills following the demise of his father. slamming tew upped the ante to lambast the Morcha on the statehood issue, our demand for a separate state of, Amit Shah, , where the issue should actually be raised."

H.B.Chhetri, JAP president was here to attend a meeting to condole the death of Col (retd) D.K. Rai who had been seriously injured in a lathi-charge on an ex-serviceman rally in Siliguri on April 9, 2008. Rai had breathed his last on March 29.

The JAP said it would not forge an alliance in the coming civic elections.

"We are for our regional sentiment (statehood issue) and we know how to work for it and take it to the right place at the right time.... In the civic elections, we will fight alone," said Chhetri.

During the last Assembly elections, the JAP had a tie-up with Trinamul and the GNLF. The GNLF will make its stand clear after the election notification is issued.