Slamming Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) for the ongoing turmoil in Darjeeling, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday called the situation "unfortunate" and asserted to give "tough message" to the miscreants.
She said that the GJM has connections with insurgent groups in the Northeast and some foreign countries. Police rejected the allegations of firing by its personnel, and said one person was killed during the clashes.
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Binay Tamang claimed that two of his party workers were killed when the police opened fire at a GJM procession here.
Shouts of "Police go back" and "Gorkhaland-Gorkhaland" reverberated through the picturesque hills of Darjeeling as some Gorkha activists claimed the protest has shifted from the political to the commoners' movement in the hills.
"All concerned parties and stakeholders should resolve their differences and misunderstandings through dialogue in an amicable environment". The rally turned violent, resulting in clashes between GJM supporters and security personnel, it said.
The incident, in which several people were injured, prompted the administration to deploy Army in the area. "The government should allow us to carry out peaceful and democratic agitation", Darjeeling MLA Amar Rai of the GJM told reporters here.
While addressing the media for the first time on the issue in New Delhi, he said, "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is responsible for the current situation in the Hills". However, according to a report in the Telegraph, the central government seems to have changed their mind somewhat - now saying that they will send the extra forces only after the West Bengal government submits a situation report.
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Hundreds of protesters on Sunday paraded with coffins containing the bodies of two men they claimed were killed in clashes with Indian security forces in Darjeeling, as the hill resort reels from separatist unrest.
West Bengal: With GJM gearing up for a prolonged confrontation with West Bengal government over the Gorkhaland statehood issue, the party's leadership is planning to revive Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP) - its "peacekeeping" wing.
The biggest conflagration happened at Singmari, near the GJM's main office on Lebong Cart Road, close to St Joseph's College, St Joseph's School, North Point School, Darjeeling Zoo and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.
Asked if she thought the demand for a separate Gorkhaland is "legitimate", she noted that India itself is a combination of so many diverse cultures.
Earlier she had said the Assistant Commander was dead. He added, "I appeal to the people living in Darjeeling and nearby areas to remain calm and peaceful".
The shutdown and protests in Darjeeling continue despite local government assurances that the new rule to impose Bengali would not be enforced in the hill districts. The GJM's supporters attacked security forces with bricks and bottles, in a worst violence since the flare-up on June 8.
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