People still love Gurung, but his support base has eroded: Bista

SNS, SILIGURI. 29 NOVEMBER 2020: At a time when Gorkha leader Bimal Gurung is set to return to the Hills to work with the Trinamul Congress, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has said "people still love my elder brother Bimal ji" for his contribution to the Gorkhas. Mr Bista, however, added that Mr Gurung's support base has eroded now.

Notably, another fugitive Gorkha leader, Roshan Giri, who was with Mr Gurung in Kolkata, arrived in the Hills yesterday and stated his reasons for joining hands with the TMC, while he today spoke in public about the TMC's expectations from Mr Gurung in the next Assembly elections.

"Bimal Gurung is like my elder brother. Hill people still love him, but they don't have faith in him. He sacrificed a lot for the Gorkhas, but he finally has come under the shelter of TMC. Gorkha people will die, but they never vote for the TMC. They will never forget the 13 Gorkha brothers and sisters lost their lives on the roads at the hands of the police of the TMC-led government in 2017. Officially, over 1200 Gorkha people were killed, while unofficially it was over 2,500, in statehood movements during the time when the CPM was in power in Bengal" Mr Bista, who is also the national spokesperson for the BJP, said.

"Yes, people love Bimal Gurung, but it doesn't mean they oppose PM Narendra Modi. There is a natural alliance between the BJP and the patriotic Gorkhas. Only the BJP can fulfill their present demand like PPS (permanent political solution) and tribal status for 11 Gorkha communities," he added.

"Gorkhas are claimants and the BJP the abdicator. There is no third man between the two. How Mamata (Banerjee) fulfilI the dream of the Gorkhas? Only the BJP can meet their demand based on the Indian Constitution and the Parliament. I appeal to the people to have patience. I know political parties consider Gorkhas their vote bank and use them as a football. But I am standing here. I will not let that happen," Mr Bista said.

According to him, the BJP's one-point agenda in Bengal is to 'uproot' the Mamata Banerjee-led "corrupt government," under the leadership of Mr Modi to make the state 'Sonar Bangla.

"After coming to power,the BJP will also prepare a special road map for Darjeeling, especially based on its natural resources. Since many years, agents of the state government from Kolkata and constructors have been looting Darjeeling," Mr Bista said.