Gorkhaland agitation: Low-intensity blast near Teesta in Darjeeling, no casualties reported

A low-intensity blast took place in Teesta Bazar area of Darjeeling on Friday morning as the indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling Hills entered the 72nd day. [caption id=“attachment_3879563” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] Though there were no reports of any casualty or injury to any person, some shops were damaged. Darjeeling district officials said, the blast was triggered on a road near Teesta Bazar, close to the Teesta bridge. The police is investigation the matter. The blast comes following Saturday’s  twin blasts in  which one civic police volunteer was killed and two others were injured. Another blast on Thursday had no report of any casualty or injury since the indefinite shutdown to press for a separate Gorkhaland state, began over two months ago. The Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GMCC) is all set to meet at Kalimpong on Friday to discuss the issue of attending the August 29 talks convened by the state government in response to the GNLF’s letter requesting for a dialogue to restore normalcy in hills. The GMCC comprising members of all the hill parties, including GJM and GNLF, is headed by the GJM. The GJM wrote a letter to the West Bengal government expressing its willingness to attend the 29 August talks to resolve the Darjeeling stalemate, abandoning its earlier stand. The letter, written by Binay Tamang, a leader of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said, “No other alternative or modified step will do justice to our plight other than creation of a separate Gorkhaland.”’ Tamang’s letter was preceded by a letter GJM chief Bimal Gurung wrote to the state government on Wednesday requesting for a “political dialogue” on the demand for a Gorkhaland.