DARJEELING/KOLKATA, Aug 10:
Armed with a Calcutta High Court order, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today declared as illegal the indefinite bandh in Darjeeling for Gorkhaland and gave a 72-hour deadline for its withdrawal, an ultimatum rejected outright by GJM which threatened to enforce a ‘janta curfew’.
“I have some constitutional obligations. There is a high court order and also a Supreme Court order on bandhs,” the chief minister told a press conference in Kolkata.
The chief minister said that in the light of the recent Calcutta High Court order which has asked the state to ensure normalcy in the hills, she was declaring the bandh, which entered the eighth day, as illegal and unconstitutional.
“Enough is enough. I have tolerated for eight days. I am very rough and tough. I am giving 72 hours to withdraw the bandh. Do not force me to take strong action,” Banerjee said.
Ruling out division of Bengal, she said, “Darjeeling is part and parcel of West Bengal. Darjeeling is my heart. There can be no division of the state based on race.”
Apparently targeting GJM chief Bimal Gurung, she said, “I have to act as per Government obligations. However big a leader with a long tail which he has tied elsewhere, his tail will be cut.”
Asked whether her Government would hold talks with the GJM, she said, “There is no difficulty in holding talks if they withdraw the bandh. They can approach the chief secretary and the home secretary.”
The GJM chief took a defiant stand and said that the chief minister has to withdraw her statement or else a janta curfew(supporters policing the streets) would be called.
“If she feels that by issuing the ultimatum and letting loose her authoritarian rule she can bend us, then she is wrong. We are ready for it,” Gurung said in Darjeeling.
“The people of the hills are holding a democratic and peaceful movement, but if she tries force, then the people of the hills will give her a fitting reply,” he said.
The chief minister also attacked the Centre. “I am also asking some Central Government agencies not to interfere in the State’s business. Allow us to maintain law and order, peace and prosperity of the State,” Banerjee said.
With Darjeeling having one Lok Sabha seat where BJP leader Jaswant Singh is the current MP, she warned that none should should go for an understanding with the GJM eyeing the constituency.
“Do not try to play mischief for one seat. Do not try to break (the State),” she said.
Meanwhile, a top GJM leader of Darjeeling town was arrested in connection with cases of arson and attempt to murder.
The police said Narayan Pradhan, president of GJM Darjeeling Town Committee, has been arrested. With this, the total number of arrests in the hills rose to 149.
The bandh continued to paralyse life with shortage of food reported across the hills.
GJM leaders and supporters gathered at many areas and the district magistrate’s office in Darjeeling town and shouted slogans for Gorkhaland and release of arrested leaders.
After the chief minister’s deadline to the GJM, the police along with RAF and a large contingent of combat forces started area domination in the Darjeeling hills.
Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Kunal Agarwal said the GJM supporters against whom there were arrest warrants would be apprehended immediately.
“We have started patrolling the area as a measure of area domination. All the GJM supporters against whom there are arrest warrants will be arrested,” he said. (PTI)
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