Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung on Sunday said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was trying to divert their agitation into a different direction by claiming that the movement in Darjeeling hills was supported by insurgent groups of the north-east and some foreign countries. So many bombs and arms can not be gathered in a day.
According to sources, the West Bengal state government has blocked mobile internet in the hills in a bid to prevent people from mass gathering.
This afternoon, Mamata had said in Nabanna: "They (the protesters in the hills) are using arms and bombs".
The immediate provocation for the violence seemed to be an early-morning police raid on GJM leader Binay Tamang's house, two days after security forces broke into GJM president Bimal Gurung's Patlewas residence.
Carrying bodies of the two supporters in a hearse with GJM flags and posters terming them as "martyrs of Gorkhaland", thousands of locals, including GJM activists, shouted slogans like "police, go back".
"I am told there is a connection with underground insurgency from northeast India".
"She (Banerjee) has apprised me of the situation prevailing in Darjeeling", he said.
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Saturday saw fresh clashes in Darjeeling, with Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) protesters pelting stones and throwing bottles at security personnel, who retaliated by firing teargas shells. Police rejected the allegations of firing by its personnel, and said one person was killed during the clashes.
"We only have electoral ties with GJM".
A man has died and scores of police were injured during rioting in the Indian resort of Darjeeling. "If the situation continues like this, it would be hard to transport ration and essential commodities", she had said at a press conference on Saturday. Security forces also picked up college teacher and GJM spokesperson Vikram Rai, son of Darjeeling MLA Asok Rai, but later released him.
Strike supporters had engaged in a clash with police force at Singmari and Lebong areas.
Urging the people in the hills to not listen to the GJM leadership, she also denied reports of police firing. The development boards were set up by the Mamata Banerjee government created between 2013 and 2017 but are battling graft charges.
The ongoing agitation has crippled tourism. On Thursday evening, after the Centre agreed to send four paramilitary companies, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and Darjeeling MP and BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia met with Rajnath Singh.
"Although we are fundamentally supporting small states, each case has to be examined in its own light, and certain sensitivities, being borderline states, they have to be taken into consideration". "It was the GJM supporters who had started violence and attacked police with stones and petrol bombs", he told DNA.
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