Government offices torched, set ablaze by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in Darjeeling

KOLKATA: On the first day of indefinite strike called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in Darjeeling in West Bengal, two government offices including a block office at Bijonbari and a PWD office in Darjeeling were set on fire while several other government offices including a Panchayat office and power department offices were torched by the protesters. Meanwhile, the state government has taken all kind of measures to keep situation under control and maintain law and order. Apart from six columns of army and two companies of CRPF, the administration has made a huge police force available in Darjeeling from other north Bengal districts.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in a public meeting in south Bengal however said that her government would not tolerate ‘Goondaism’ by the Morcha leaders. “They have stocked bombs and arms/ But I know that the people of hills are not with them. So they would try to create problems, but would not succeed. They would never get people’s support.”

The Morcha leaders said that they have full control over the people in the hills and this is their fight for Gorkhaland. About the attendance in government offices during strike, Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri told ET, “Government has issued stringent notices, we have only appealed to the people for responding to the cause of Gorkhaland.”