Gurung asks people to welcome BJP chief

TT, Siliguri, Oct. 3: Bimal Gurung today appealed to people to welcome a BJP delegation slated to visit the hills tomorrow, a day after his rival in the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Binay Tamang, had said the BJP leaders would risk facing public protests if they didn't spell out their stand on the statehood.

Leaders of the Trinamul Congress said they would be hawk-eyed during the BJP delegation's trip to the hills to look for any move that could be portrayed as the vitiation of the prevailing peace in Darjeeling.

Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh and other leaders will reach Kalimpong tomorrow for a three-day trip to the hills.

In an audio message released today, Morcha president Gurung said: "Let the sacrifices of the martyrs and the hardship of the 104-day strike not go in vain. You must come out, welcome the team and tell them about the atrocities committed by the state on our people."

Referring to Tamang's statement with regard to the BJP leaders' visit to the hills, Gurung said: "Tamang will do whatever Trinamul does."

Asked about the BJP leaders' trip, minister Gautam Deb said: "The BJP is a different political party and its state president and leaders can visit any place. We would not comment on it. All we want to say is that they should ensure that peace and normality are not breached during their visit."

However, Trinamul leaders, who didn't wish to be named, said they would closely monitor the BJP team's tour of the hills.

"We will wait and watch what they do during the visit. The BJP does not have a strong organisational base in the hills and if members of the delegation claim they are touring the hills to strengthen their party's base, we are not ready to buy it," said a Trinamul leader.

"Any move by the BJP to prop up Bimal Gurung or a fresh assurance that the Centre would look into the statehood demand would create an opportunity for our party to launch a campaign against the BJP. Trinamul can approach people and tell them that the BJP wants to divide Bengal," he added.

While Trinamul leader Deb has remained retrained, the CPM sounded aggressive.

"What were BJP leaders doing when there was a strike and agitation in the hills? They are coming here only when the hills are limping back to normality. We suspect they will visit the hills only to indulge in politics by exploiting the hill population," CPM state committee member and Siliguri MLA Asok Bhattacharya said.

The Darjeeling MP, S.S. Ahluwalia, of the BJP was accused by the Morcha as well as other political parties of staying away from the hills when his constituency was embroiled in turmoil.