Bista calls Tamang claim `outright lie'

VIVEK CHHETRI , TT, 16 Jul 2019, Darjeeling: Raju Bista, the Darjeeling BJP MP, said J.B. Tamang, who had joined the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's Binay Tamang camp on Sunday, had "lied" about their purported conversation.

Tamang was the working president of the Himalayan Plantation Labour Union, a wing of the GNLF.

While joining the Morcha on Sunday, he had said: "I talked to Raju Bistaji about minimum wages (for tea garden workers) but I was told that (Narendra) Modiji had directed them to enrol 2 lakh members in the hills. They have won the election and what is the need for membership drive?" But Bista said: "This is an outright lie…. I haven't even spoken to Mr. J.B. Tamang since the election campaign got overThe Darjeeling MP said he was unable to "comprehend" the real grievance of Tamang.

"I was sworn in as MP on June 18, 2019. It has not even been a month that I have been official MP for our region," said Bista. "Yet, I have raised non-implementation of the Minimum Wages Act, Land Title Rights (Parja Patta) and overhauling of Plantation Labour Act 1951 in the zero hour of the parliament. I also raised these issues during my budget discussion speechThe BJP parliamentarian added that the party was "not after recruiting cadres".

"Mr Tamang's claim that I told him about Modiji telling us that he needs 2 lakhs cadres is absurd too," said Bista.

"Perhaps Mr Tamang doesn't know that the BJP is the largest political party in the whole world. We are not after recruiting cadres, we are working to reach each and every citizen of our nation," Bista said.

The newly elected MP from Darjeeling said that he would let his actions speak and advised Tamang to check the Lok Sabha records since 1957 on the number of issues previous Darjeeling MPs had raised during the very first session of Parliament.

"I respect J.B. Tamangji and I hope whatever his compulsions are for joining TMC B team, he has been able to convince himself and his conscience because no one else is convinced with his excuses," Bista said..