Thursday, pressing the central government for an immediate inquiry into the incident.
The agitating GJM has sought a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) inquiry into the ´inhumane´ killing of the two women activists in Jalpaiguri district.[break]
Speaking to Republica, Uttam Chettri, president of the party´s Delhi chapter and organizer of Thursday´s sit-in, said, “We are extremely saddened by the death of our cadres and today´s dharna was organized to protest the ruthless killings. A CBI inquiry has been sought from the central government in this regard.”
“Our women were killed during a peaceful padyatra (street march) and we are not going to stop our agitation under any circumstance,” he added.
Speaking to media after the sit-in at Jantarmantar Thursday, Jaswant Singh, member of parliament from Darjeeling constituency and a senior politician, said, “We demand that the guilty in the Darjeeling killing be brought to book immediately and all responsible West Bengal authorities questioned in this regard.”
Singh had met with Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday to condemn the incident and sought a speedy inquiry into the case.
The army has been deployed in violence-hit areas of Darjeeling district after two persons - Bimala Rai, 35, and Wangdi Lama, 30 -- were killed Tuesday when police opened fire to stop GJM supporters from taking out a march in adjacent Jalpaiguri district in defiance of prohibitory orders. In reaction, GJM workers torched government vehicles and offices. Seven people were injured in the incident.
Clashes broke out at Shipchu inside a reserve forest in Jalpaiguri district when police dismantled temporary camps set up by GJM activists.
However, the GJM has denied torching vehicles and blamed some other groups wanting to discredit the GJM. Quoting Jaswant Singh, Chettri said, “The authorities have falsely alleged that party workers burnt the vehicles, whereas this was done to discredit the party which resorted to nothing but peaceful demonstration.”
(Photo: AFP)
Additional District Magistrate (Darjeeling) Rajat Kumar Shaini has said the administration is considering imposing a curfew in the violence-affected areas.
The GJM has also informed that their bandh is now going to be ´indefinite´, with the party organizing more protests.
The GJM has been fighting for a separate state of Gorkhaland within India, out of districts in the north of West Bengal. The party was launched on October 7, 2007.
Three rounds of talks between the party led by Bimal Gurung and the central government have yielded no result.
Related story
NEST organizes marches across Nepal to protest against ‘KMC’s h...
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)