Binoy camp's MP-bashing continues

SNS, Darjeeling, 18 February: The Binoy Tamang camp of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) continued with its tirade against Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia, with the party's frontal organizations, the Nari Morcha and the Yuva Morcha, condemning statements made by the MP. The party wings alleged that Mr Ahluwalia, who is also the union minister of state for drinking water and sanitation, was eyeing to disrupt peace in the Hills.

"We condemn the statements made by the Darjeeling MP on 16 February, where he said he will provide security to Morcha leader Bimal Gurung who was the one that started an undemocratic agitation here and hid in the jungles. We want to ask Ahluwalia if he is Gurung's MP or the people's. The people here are with Binoy Tamang who brought peace and democracy here and Ahluwalia going against him only shows that he is against

the people," Nari Morcha president Sushma Rai said in a press release.

The release demands that Ahluwalia step down as the MP "as he is not working for the people, but for a lone leader."

"If he is the MP of the entire people, we want to give him a word of advice and ask him to not work for Bimal Gurung, but for the people here. By claiming that Gurung is innocent , Ahluwalia is trying to create disturbance in the Hills" Ms Rai said, adding that the MP wants to bring

Gurung to the Hills and again win the 2019 elections, "which will not happen this time." The press statement added that a "betrayer like  BJP" can be an ally of Gurung but not the Gorkhas.

On the other hand, Yuva Morcha spokesperson Arun Chhetri said that Mr Tamang and Anit Thapa have brought about normality in the hills, "but now the BJP is trying to disturb the peace here, and we condemn this."

"The matter of Bimal Gurung is pending in the court of law. Ahluwalia spoke about saving Gurung, but why did he not speak when 13 people died in the recent agitation. We were hopeful that the BJP would help us, but they did nothing. They are only using us as vote banks," Chhetri said.