Gorkha Janamukti Morcha defers Darjeeling agitation to June 23

KOLKATA: The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on Wednesday decided not to go for any immediate agitation in Darjeeling and wait till June 23. The entire GJM leadership is in deep trouble as a court in Kolkata has issued arrest warrants against all the key leaders including its president Bimal Gurung, his wife, party's Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri and Roshan Giri.

The CBI which was probing the Madan Tamang murder case, has recently filed its final chargesheet and named all the key leaders in connection with the murder of All India Gorkha League (AIGL) leader Tamang.

The Gorkha leader was murdered in Darjeeling in May 2010 and the then Left Front government had handed over the case to the CID. But Tamang's widow Bharati, moved Calcutta High Court demanding a CBI probe into the case. The high court granted her prayer and the CBI was engaged in probe.

On the basis of the charge sheet filed by the CBI, the Kolkata court had issued arrest warrants against key GJM leaders who have recently moved the high court seeking anticipatory bail. The high court has admitted the GJM's petition, but is yet to hear the case.

GJM sources said they were sure that the case would not be heard in the coming three days as lawyers of the high court are on a three-day cease work citing hot and humid weather conditions.

Cease work by the lawyers will continue till Friday and it is expected that the apex court would not be able to hear the GJM's prayer for anticipatory bail for its leaders before Monday.

GJM leadership is in deep trouble over the CBI charge sheet and they had already taken up the issue with the top BJP leaders in Delhi as well as Union home minister. But neither the Centre nor the top BJP leaders in Delhi have offered any sort of help to the GJM leadership and the Gorkhas are upset with the BJP.

During Wednesday's meeting at Patlebas in Darjeeling, many GJM leaders expressed their resentment about the role played by the BJP leadership in Delhi.