BGPM FIR against Gurung, he denies he roughed up the 'kid'

SNS, DARJEELING, 15 NOVEMBER 21 : The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) has filed an FIR against Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, alleging that he beat up the son of one of their leaders today.

According to BGPM leaders, the incident happened at Tukvar here the son of their leader Dinesh Thing was riding on a motorcycle and when Mr Gurung was overseeing a road repair work there.

"The road stretch of Tukvar is being repaired by them (Morcha) and it is a good thing that they are doing it, but it does not mean that they can hit someone for travelling that way. Nitya's father might be a leader of the BGPM, but he has nothing to do with our party," said Alok Kanta Mani Thulung, a BGPM leader.

"We have witnesses there who saw two people catching hold of Nitya and Gurung hitting him. We will not tolerate anyone trying to disturb the hills again, so we have filed an FIR against Gurung here at the Sadar police station," said Mr Thulung.

According to him, their party had also repaired some parts of the road stretch earlier, but had understood that organizationally they could not do much, and it should be done departmentally.

"It was the contractors associated with Gurung that had got the contract for the road stretch for which a tender of about Rs 14 crore had been floated. They had not completed it within three years too," he said.

On the other hand, Mr Gurung later denied that he misbehaved with anyone. According to him, it was the BGPM leaders son who misbehaved with him, as "he was under the influence of something and was not sober."

"This is a conspiracy to sideline me from Hill politics, as other party leaders have an allergy with me. He (leader's son) is a small kid and I know him for long. He fell from his motorcycle as he tried to speed past and overtake several other vehicles there," Mr Gurung said.

The Morcha leader also alleged that BGPM cadres later tore his party flags.

"With folded hands I request BGPM leaders to do good politics and not blame others for what he did not do and not try to tarnish one's image with false accusations," Mr Gurung told reporters in Darjeeling.