Raids at GJM chief’s house spark violence

Violence broke out again in the Darjeeling hills on Thursday following early morning raids by the police and security forces at the house of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung. The GJM immediately called for an indefinite shutdown after the raids.

Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “We want peace in the hills.” Accusing a few leaders of “doing goondagiri,” Ms. Banerjee said, “[If] anybody violates the law, the administration will take action.”

As news of the raids at Mr. Gurung’s Patleybas residence-cum-party office spread, protests and violence broke out in the area with locals throwing stones and petrol bombs at the police and security personnel.

GJM supporters surrounded and attacked the police at Patleybas as they were leaving after the raids. Senior police officials claimed the forces were fired upon. After a lathi charge failed to control the situation, security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. The Centre, meanwhile, rushed an additional 400 paramilitary personnel to Darjeeling.

During the raids at Mr Gurung’s premises, the security forces seized countrymade arms, telescopic crossbows, arrows, sharp weapons like Khukris, pickaxes, fire crackers and a large quantity of cash.

Darjeeling SP Akhilesh Chaturvedi said the raids followed inputs that arms were stored to attack the police if the latter tried to stop rallies planned during the day. “You all have seen what has been recovered we don’t think that any peace minded person will store such arms,” Mr. Chaturvedi said.

The GJM however, refuted the police allegations saying the bows and arrows were stocked for a traditional archery competition. GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said, “What have they found? Khukri is part of our tradition. What is the harm in keeping it? Bows and arrows are traditional weapons. They were meant for students for archery competition.”

Other parties in the hills also backed the GJM’s claims. President of the Gorkha Rashtriya Nirman Manch Dawa Parkin said the police had recovered tools used in agriculture and such a move would only spark violence in the hills.

GJM president Bimal Gurung, who according to sources remained in Patlaybas during the raid, said it was carried out “at the instruction of the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee”. Mr. Gurung urged the people in the hills to be united

(With inputs from PTI)