Darjeeling unrest: GJM leader Binay Tamang asks BJP to clear stand on Gorkhaland

Darjeeling: Chairman of the Board of Administrators for Darjeeling hills and expelled GJM leader Binay Tamang has asked Union minister SS Ahluwalia and West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh to clear their stand on the Gorkhaland issue before setting foot in the hills. [caption id=“attachment_4087861” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of GJM supporters burning Mamata Banerjee’s image. PTI[/caption] Ahluwalia, the BJP MP from Darjeeling, and Ghosh are scheduled to visit the hills and neighbouring Sikkim from Wednesday to hold meetings with party workers and GJM leadership. Tamang, a one-time close aide of GJM supremo Bimal Gurung said, “Nobody should try to disrupt normalcy in the hills.” “We have helped BJP win Lok Sabha elections from Darjeeling twice in the past. We will not tolerate any attempt by them that disturbs the hills,” he said. The West Bengal government had announced formation of the Board of Administrators on 20 September, replacing the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), and appointed Binay Tamang as its chairman. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) had called off the indefinite bandh in the hills last week after a marathon 104 days following an appeal by Union home minister Rajnath Singh. The bandh was called in support of a separate Gorkhaland state in the Darjeeling hills.