State writes to Centre over Sikkim sheltering Gurung

MP, 5 September 2017, Kolkata: The state government wrote to the Centre condemning the role of the neighbouring state Sikkim for allegedly giving shelter to GJM chief Bimal Gurung. 

It may be mentioned that the letter has been written by the state on Tuesday and immediate intervention of the Centre has been sought. 

Sources said that the issue related to the support that the neighbouring state is extending to Gurung and his associates to carry on with their anti-state activities. It is learnt that it has been mentioned in the letter that such a role of the neighbouring state is harmful.

The bandh in the Hills is continuing for nearly three months from June 8 on the day when the Cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was held in Darjeeling. 

Though a faction of GJM has now turned against Gurung and raised allegation of corruption against him, he is still continuing his activities along with some of his associates from different hideouts.

There was reports from different sources that he has taken shelter in Sikkim and even called for a meeting in one of his hideouts. A team comprising officers of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted a raid and arrested some of his associates from a hideout in Sikkim. Gurung had, however, managed to flee. 

Starting from the very beginning of the agitation of the GJM that led to a bandh for an indefinite period, the Sikkim government had been intervening into the issue of the Hills. 

In June, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh showing his favour in support of Gorkhaland. He mentioned in the letter that "the fulfillment of the constitutional demand of the people in Darjeeling Hills…will also restore peace and prosperity in the region" and it led to the controversy. 

Deb on Thursday said: "It is an internal matter of the state. So the intervention of the Chief Minister of Sikkim is uncalled for and unconstitutional." The move of the Sikkim Chief Minister was condemned and criticised by the state Tourism minister Goutam Deb. 

Again, the Sikkim Police had lodged a case against a team of West Bengal police raising allegations of involvement in the case in which a GJM worker Dawa Tshering Bhutia was shot dead. 

According to a senior police officer of Bengal's CID, such proactive steps in filing complaint against policemen from a neighbouring state without proper preliminary investigation or any circumstantial evidence as such, is highly unexpected.