GJM to take out protest marches

Darjeeling: The Gorkha Janmukti Marcha (GJM) today plans to take out rallies against the alleged killing of its supporters in police firing as the indefinite shutdown in support of their demand for a separate Gorkhaland entered the 25th day amid a strict vigil by the Army and the police.

The GJM leadership yesterday claimed that four persons were killed in police firing. The police, however, denied the reports of firing and said it did not fire a “single shot”.

The GJM claimed that while two pro-Gorkhaland supporters had died on the spot during the police firing, two others succumbed to injuries in hospital.

The separatist group identified the four victims as Tashi Bhutia, Suraj Sundas, Asha Kumar and Sameer Subba.

M S Rai, chairman of the Rai Development Board, resigned last night in protest against the alleged killings.

The GJM also rejected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s offer of talks yesterday.The police are on high alert after fresh violence and arson erupted in Darjeeling hills yesterday.

The Army was redeployed yesterday after the violence in Darjeeling hills where Gorkhaland supporters torched a police outpost, a toy train station and clashed with the police at two places in protest against the alleged killings.

Police pickets and barricades were placed in front of the government and GTA offices and various entry exit points of the hills while Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a sizable number of women police personnel were also deployed. Except medicine shops, all others shops and hotels are closed in Darjeeling.