GJM refuses to budge on Gorkhaland talks

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung on Saturday said the organisation still stuck to its demand for tripartite talks involving the Centre and the West Bengal government in Delhi and would send a delegation to the capital on June 22 to press for it.

Stating that the GJM was seeking appointment with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and the Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, Gurung told PTI from Darjeeling that a delegation, comprising GJM central committee members, would meet MPs of different political parties.

He said already the letter was being sent on fax to the prime minister, Union home minister and the leader of the opposition so that the delegation could be granted appointment with them.

He said he would be replying to the West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday in response to the latter's letter to him for talks at Kolkata to resolve the Darjeeling crisis.

"We will send the letter on Sunday," he added.

"Yes, yes," he said, when asked whether they still stick to their demand for a tripartite meeting in Delhi.

Asked whether the delegation would take up the Gorkhaland demand, he said: "We will talk on those lines."

Asked whether he would be leading the delegation, he said, "The GJM leaders would go."

Inspector General of Police, North Bengal, K L Tamta said the situation remained peaceful in the bandh-effected areas.

Six companies of CRPF were being kept in reserve in Siliguri and none has been sent to Darjeeling as the situation did not demand it, he said.

Darjeeling District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey told PTI that the National Highway 31-A linking Siliguri and the Sikkim capital, Gangtok, continued to remain cut off.

Meanwhile, the GJM President said that all vehicles and two wheelers in Darjeeling would bear GL (Gorkhaland) number plates from July seven as part of non-cooperation with the state government.

Pandey, however, said this was illegal and vehicle owners would face problems.

Gurung, when asked whether the indefinite bandh had led to a crisis in food and essential commodities in the hills, said the relief committees were supplying food and essentials to the people, he said.

Asked how long the existing stock of essentials would last, Gurung said, "We have taken preparations for at least a couple of months."