BJP's roadshow runs into black flags in Darjeeling
Darjeeling: BJP's Parivartan Yatra ran into black flags amidst chants of "BJP go back" in Darjeeling on Tuesday. The Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha (Bimal faction) waved black flags at the yatra along with BJP West Bengal State President Dilip Ghosh; Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and others at the Ghoom and Darjeeling Railway stations.
"Where is the permanent political solution? What have you done to grant scheduled tribe status to 11 Gorkha sub communities?" questioned the protestors.
"The BJP has betrayed the Gorkhas. They have transformed the Gorkhas into mere vote banks. Since 2009 they have been assuring Gorkhas of a permanent political solution and according scheduled tribe status to 11 Gorkha sub communities. Saying this they have won from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency thrice. Yet they have done nothing for the Gorkhas," alleged Urmila Rumba of the Nari Morcha
(Bimal faction.)
She stated that from the Prime Minister Modi, during an election campaign rally had stated that the dream of the Gorkha's is his dream, it has remained as a dream. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista had assured to create a permanent political solution and include 11 Gorkha sub communities in the scheduled tribe list before West Bengal Assembly elections. "All this is empty assurances. They haven't done anything. Now Bista claims that he will fulfill these assurances before 2024. We can't trust them anymore. This time the lotus will not bloom in the Hills," retorted Rumba. Bista had earlier stated that he will resign if BJP does not do anything for the Gorkhas.
"It is time you resigned as BJP has not done anything for the Gorkhas," stated a Nari Morcha supporter. Meanwhile, addressing the Parivartan Yatra rally in Darjeeling both Ghosh and Bista assured that the party would live up to their assurances
made in the BJP's 2019 election manifesto.
When questioned on the black flag demonstration, Ghosh remarked that it was being done by a particular political outfit just to stay afloat in Hill politics. Incidentally the Bimal Gurung faction of the GJM was earlier an ally of the BJP. However, Gurung and his men recently left the BJP and joined hands with Mamata Banerjee
and the TMC.
