JAP claims Morcha attack on drivers

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, May 3: The Jana Andolan Party today alleged that drivers of two vehicles carrying its supporters had been attacked by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha members outside the latter's office at Singamari here today at the direction of Bimal Gurung.

The party led by Harka Bahadur Chhetri also said JAP supporters had been manhandled by the employees of the GTA at Lal Kothi later in the day and denied entry to the headquarters of the hill body.

Asked about the two incidents, Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: "The allegations are false and they have staged this act to gain sympathy of the public."

Around 40 members of the JAP had come to Darjeeling today by vehicles to submit a memorandum to Darjeeling district magistrate and GTA principal secretary Ravi Inder Singh demanding a three-tier panchayat system in the hills. The supporters alighted from vehicles outside the DM's office along Lebong Cart Road.

Sangdo Lepcha, who was driving one of the vehicles, said: "Since I did not get space to turn and park my vehicle (near the DM's office), I proceeded towards Singamari and reached near the Morcha's office. Six Morcha supporters came from the party office and attacked me. Bimal Gurung was present at the office then and the attack took place at his direction."

The other driver to be allegedly attacked by the Morcha members was Pravin Adhikari. The Telegraph couldn't independently verify if Gurung was present in the Morcha office. The JAP supporters filed an FIR at the Darjeeling Sadar police station.

Chhetri and other senior JAP leaders later went to Lal Kothi - the administrative headquarters of the GTA - to submit the memorandum.

"At Lal Kothi, our supporters were manhandled by the GTA employees manning the gates and even the media were denied entry. Is Lal Kothi a private property of the Morcha? I will definitely lodge a complaint with the hill affair's department," said Chhetri.

Only five JAP leaders were allowed to enter Lal Kothi.

The GTA staff said they were denying admission to the JAP supporters as a directive had come from GTA principal secretary.

About the attack on the drivers, the outgoing Kalimpong MLA said: "They were attacked at Singamari following the directive of Gurung. All Morcha leaders were present in the party office at that time."

EOI, Darjeeling, 3 May 2016:Several supporters of the Jan Andolan Party today demonstrated outside the Darjeeling sadar police station demanding action against Gorkha Janmukti Morcha activists who allegedly manhandled their party men and damaged the vehicles ferrying them to the district administration office where they were to submit a deputation on the conduction of panchayat election in the hills.

JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri said party supporters were also prevented from entering Lal Kothi, the headquarters of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, later in the day. Two persons from the electronic media who had gone to cover the JAP story were also threatened and prevented from entering Lal Kothi by GTA staff members stationed near the entrance.

Sangdo Lepcha, the driver of the vehicle ferrying the JAP supporters, was slapped by GJM activists in Singamari, prompting him to file a complaint with the police against unknown miscreants. But in his written statement, Lepcha has alleged the GJM president was present in the party office when he was assaulted and he instigated the offenders. “Due to traffic congestion near the district magistrate’s office, I was forced to head towards Singamari to take a U-turn. And as I was taking a U-turn in Singamari, five to six GJM supporters approached me and started slapping me without me provoking them and all the while they kept telling me not to show off. Most probably I was attacked because my vehicle had the JAP flag,” he said.

Prabin Adhikari, the driver of another vehicle who also lodged a police complaint, said he was punched by GJM supporters. “I am a driver and am bound to ferry passengers irrespective of their political allegiance. I fail to understand why I was targeted. They (GJM supporters) also damaged my vehicle. Is this democracy?” he demanded to know.

The JAP president said the GJM had lost the people’s faith and was thus resorting to intimidating and terrorising people, strangling democracy. “In a democracy a political entity has the right to political activity. Panchayat is related to the rural people and its proper functioning is a must. However, in the name of ‘rajniti’ the GJM is indulging in ‘goondagardi as they are now afraid the people have stopped supporting them,” Chhetri said.

In the afternoon, the JAP led a delegation comprising representatives of the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) and the CPIM to the DM office and GTA headquarters to submit deputations demanding Panchayat elections that have not been conducted in the hills since the year 2000.

Speaking from Lal Kothi about the incidents of assault, Chhetri said, “Even though Lal Kothi is a public space, only five of our people were allowed to enter, that too after a lot of persuasion and argument. But the biggest worry and concern is that even media people were barred from entering the premises, which shows the autocratic attitude of the GJM leadership.” He added all this could not have happened without instructions from Morcha leaders.

Lal Kothi staffers, however, maintained they were instructed by GTA principal secretary Ravinder Singh not to allow the media to cover the submission of the deputation by the JAP. Singh refused to meet the press after the incident.

Chhetri said both the DM and the GTA principal secretary had assured the JAP demand would be placed before the concerned authorities in Kolkata and Delhi. The JPA president also said the party would write to the Centre and meet the state hill affairs minister and home secretary.

Meantime, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri refuted the JAP allegation saying it was an attempt to gain public sympathy. “All the allegations that have been made by Chhetri against us are baseless and fabricated to malign our party’s image. None of our supporters were involved in the incident. As far as the demand for Panchayat elections is concerned, we have already taken up the matter with authorities in Kolkata and Delhi,” he said.