Backlash on BJP team in Darjeeling - Chased and heckled, Bengal party chief and associates take refuge in police station

BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh and Jayprakash Majumdar being chased in Darjeeling on Thursday

RAJEEV RAVIDAS and AVIJIT SINHA, TT, Oct. 5. Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh and some of his supporters were chased and allegedly assaulted by a group of youths in Darjeeling today, prompting them to beat a hasty retreat and take refuge at a police station.

The incident led to questions whether the attack was premeditated or a spontaneous outpouring of anger at the BJP for not robustly supporting the demand for a Gorkhaland state.

The drama unfolded as Ghosh reached the Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Sammelan hall in Darjeeling, where Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung's supporters greeted him at the entrance. But that something was brewing was apparent as some in the audience wielding black flags shouted "go back" and " murdabad" slogans when the BJP leaders took the stage.

"It was a pre-meditated plan to jeopardise the meeting.... The supporters of Binay Tamang, who is a stooge of the state government, were behind the trouble," Ghosh later told reporters.

The BJP state president, along with some of his aides, reached the hills yesterday to assess the situation after the withdrawal of the 104-day strike. Yesterday too, the leaders were greeted with black flags at three places in Kalimpong.

Days ahead of their proposed visit, disgruntled Morcha leader Tamang had said that the BJP should clarify its stand on statehood or risk facing protests. He had also questioned Darjeeling MP S.S. Ahluwalia's absence during the three months of strike in the hills.

Ghosh did not react to questions on statehood but linked the protests to Trinamul's alleged ploy to keep the BJP away from the hills.

At the meeting in the Darjeeling hall today, Ghosh did speak for some time, but his voice was lost in the din of slogans. Even as he tried to continue his speech, some people went up to the dais and Ghosh and others were forced to leave the venue. As they started walking towards Sadar police station, barely 400 metres away, a group of youths gave them a chase.

Sources said the youths rained blows on some BJP members as Ghosh and Jayprakash Majumdar, a BJP state vice-president, stood dumbstruck.

"They did not even spare Ghosh. One of them used an umbrella to toss down the Nepali cap he was wearing," said an eyewitness.

As the commotion continued, the BJP team tried to pace up to the police station, but were stopped by another group of youths. They later took refuge in the police station.

At least three BJP supporters, including the hill unit president of the party's Yuva Morcha, were injured, sources said.

"The attack indicates the spontaneous outburst of people who are aggrieved over the silence of the Centre and the BJP during the agitation and more important, the absence of the Darjeeling MP," said a Darjeeling resident.

Ahluwalia, the MP, condemned the attack and held the state government responsible for the violence.

"It (attack) has been done at the behest of the state government. Those involved in the violence were not true Gorkhas but TMC marka (branded) Gorkhas," he said in Delhi.

Ahluwalia sought to dare the Trinamul Congress and said: "I will go to Darjeeling. Let's see who attacks me."

He, however, did not say when he would visit his constituency.

Political observers pointed out that the attack today had jeopardised the BJP's efforts to galvanise support for Gurung ahead of the proposed tripartite talks involving the Centre.

Around noon, Ghosh addressed Gurung's supporters at Chowk Bazaar and told them the Morcha president was and would continue to be their leader. Even during this address, there were calls from the crowd to clarify the stand on Gorkhaland.

"There was no police security.... The entire incident was planned from Calcutta," Ghosh said.

The BJP held protest meetings across the state against the assault on Ghosh and burnt the chief minister's effigies. But a section in the saffron camp said the timing of Ghosh's visit was not proper.

"We do not have any organisation there.... Besides, our MP has been absent during the entire phase of the unrest. He should have avoided the visit at this time. It has dented the party's image," said a BJP source.

The incident prompted both Gurung and Tamang to react. While Gurung accused Tamang and Anit Thapa of orchestrating the attacks and threatened a "befitting reply", Tamang condemned the incident before linking it to an outpouring of people's ire.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SANDIP CHOWDHURY IN CALCUTTA