Gurung dares BJP to campaign in Hills

Kalimpong: Gorkha leader Bimal Gurung stepped up his tirade against the BJP at his first public meeting in Kalimpong on Thursday after a four-year hiatus — since he went underground following the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation — and dared saffron leaders to come to the Hills for poll campaigning.

Gurung reminded the gathering what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said in Siliguri seven years ago. “Modi had (in 2014) said, ‘Gorkha ka sapna, mera sapna’. How will the BJP now come to the Hills to campaign for the assembly polls?”

The GJM leader stressed that the BJP had “betrayed” people of the Hills. “Amit Shah has been telling a lie. All BJP and RSS members in Kalimpong should be careful now; Bimal Gurung is back. I will see how you can campaign here,” he said and added, “Modi can take big decisions for the country. He can do everything, apart from doing something for our people.”

Gurung’s speech left broad hints of what might be in store for the Hills. On Wednesday night, hours ahead of the rally, unidentified persons had vandalised the Binoy Tamang-led GJM party office near the Mela Grounds in Kalimpong. The Tamang faction pointed fingers at Gurung’s men and lodged a police complaint.

Kalimpong president of GJM (Tamang) C B Gurung, in his FIR, said vandals had completely damaged the party office and destroyed important documents. Bimal Gurung, Roshan Giri and 25 others have been named in the FIR.