None is above law: Minister

TT, Siliguri, Aug. 16: Bengal tourism minister Gautam Deb today said the state government would not allow Bimal Gurung to take advantage of the current situation in the hills and police would take necessary steps to restore normality there.

"Police and all other law enforcing agencies will take all necessary steps which they feel are required to restore peace and normality in the hills. I would like to make it very clear that we will not allow any advantage to him (Gurung). If required, more police camps will be set up in the hills," Deb said.

"Gurung should understand that law in our country is equally applicable to all. He (Gurung) must know that nobody is above law," he added.

In the past few days, the police and other security forces conducted several raids in and patrolled the Patlebas area in Darjeeling where the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president's house is located. They have also set up a camp at a school in Malidhura that is on the other end of Tukvar.

The moves were made to mount pressure on Gurung and keep the activities of him and other Morcha leaders under scanner. 

The minister today said the government was only concerned about the hill people.

"We are only concerned about common people who are suffering because of the indefinite strike. What Gurung is saying doesn't matter for us."

Arrests

Two more Morcha leaders have been arrested in connection with incidents of violence during the current statehood movement. They are Gyan Singh, a former councillor of Darjeeling municipality, and Sanjila Chhetri, a member of the Morcha's Darjeeling subdivisional committee.