SC meeting advice on hills

TT, New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday suggested that attorney-general K.K. Venugopal should convene a meeting between the Bengal government and Bimal Gurung to resolve the Darjeeling hill impasse as the country's top law officer.

"Attorney-general, a meeting should be held to sort out all political issues. We are not saying the government of India, he (AG) will object, but we are saying Mr Venugopal should do something," a bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan observed.

The apex court adjourned till Thursday the hearing on the Bengal government's application seeking recall of a November 20 order restraining the state from taking "any coercive action" against Gurung.

Venugopal said: "My instructions are that whatever your Lordships direct, we will fully comply with."

The court's observation comes at a time the state government is holding talks with hill-based political parties, including the Binay Tamang faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. The government, however, has objected to tripartite talks if it involves Gurung.

The Centre, too, has written to the state, seeking for early elections to the GTA, according to sources in the Union home ministry.