Darjeeling unrest: West Bengal tourism minister Gautam Deb slams GJM for resorting to vandalism

Siliguri(West Bengal): West Bengal tourism minister Gautam Deb on Thursday alleged that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activists hurled stones at him when he had gone to Panighata to attend a programme, a charge denied by the GJM. [caption id=“attachment_3730401” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of GJM supporters burning an effigy of Mamata Banerjee at Kakjhora in Darjeeling. PTI[/caption] “We had gone to Panighata to attend a programme but GJM activists, armed with khukri (Nepalese knife) assembled there and hurled stones at us,” he alleged. Deb had gone to Panighata to attend the birth anniversary of Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya. The GJM workers also damaged a police vehicle there, the minister charged and added that this was not a movement but vandalism and “the Centre is giving them support”. However, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri refuted Deb’s charge and said that his party had no hand in it. “We are launching a movement in a democratic way. The only solution is Gorkhaland and the Centre should open a dialogue on it,” he said.