Cong says Bimal, Mann betraying ... earlier contacted Congress for alliance

SNS, 14 April 2019, Darjeeling: The Congress party has claimed that the leaders of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Man Ghisingh and Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung were only betraying the people in the Hills. The general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the party observer in Bengal, BP Singh, also told a public meeting at Chowk Baazar here today that the two Hill leaders had been working for their vested interests. Mr Singh was addressing an election rally in favour of the party's candidate for the Darjeeling seat, Sankar Malakar.

"Around four months ago, Bimal Gurung had contacted me, while their leader Roshan Giri also met me.

They told me that the BJP had done nothing for them and not supported them. They told us that it was the Congress that had worked for the people in the Hills, like the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and recognition of the Nepali language. They wanted to form an alliance with us and we also let them meet our senior leaders." Mr Singh said. adding that they further wanted "permanent solution" to the Hill political problem included in the Congress manifesto "We agreed," he said.

" Later, GNLF leader Mann Ghisingh also contacted us and said they wanted an alliance with us. We agreed to their demand of having a local candidate, but a few days after that they, along with the Gurung camp held a joint press conference and announced their support for the BJP. I just want to ask them as to how long will they lie to the people and do them injustice. In the past 10 years, neither the Trinamul Congress nor the BJP has done anything for the hills or its peace and development," the AICC leader said.

He also questioned how the GNLF could have an alliance with the Gurung camp of the Morcha which did not even allow the body of the wife of GNLF leader Subash Ghisingh to be taken to the hills.

He said that they also betrayed the people by talking about a local candidate at first but then bringing a candidate from Manipur.

"In the manifesto of the BJP a permanent political solution for the Hills, Terai and Dooars has been mentioned, but where has the issue of Gorkhaland been written? In the 103-day agitation in 2017. the prime minister could have intervened but they did nothing even when people died. Leaders like Bimal Gurung, Mann Ghisingh and Roshan Giri are only filing their pockets." he alleged.

Mr Singh also maintained that they would complain with the Election Commission against the BJP and their alliance, alleging that their supporters delayed their vehicles at Kurseong and did not allow their candidate to attend their public meeting in Darjeeling in time. The BJP candidate had a campaign programme in Kurseong today that led to a traffic snarl there.