Assam violence: Tribal bodies call Bengal shutdown, BJP demands NIA probe

Two tribal bodies Thursday called a shutdown in parts of northern West Bengal Saturday in protest against the ghastly militant attacks in Assam even as the BJP demanded an NIA probe into the mayhem.

West Bengal Adivasi Vikas Parishad and All India Adivasi Vikas Parishad gave the separate calls for the 12-hour shutdown in the Terai (Siliguri sub-division of Darjeeling district and Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri district) and Dooars (rest of Jalpaiguri district and entire Alipurduar district) against the "mass killing of innocent tribals" in Assam.

West Bengal Adivasi Vikas Parishad president John Barla said school and college examinations and emergency services have been kept outside the purview of the shutdown.

All India Adivasi Vikas Parishad's West Bengal unit chief Birsa Tirkey said apart from the shutdown, his organisation would stage a demonstration and submit a memorandum to officials.

The two leaders said over 300 tribals have taken shelter in north Bengal and urged the state authoriies to make arrangements for their security, winter clothes and relief.

The Jahakhand Mukti Morcha and some other outfits have extended support to the shutdown call.

Meanwhile, Darjeeling Lok Sabha member S.S. Ahluwalia of the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the West Bengal and Assam Police were working in tandem to bring to the dock his party's alliance partner Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in connection with the Assam violence.

"This is the reason the GJM is being harassed in the name of police operation in the north Bengal hills. If police have definite information they should go for arrests. But if only one or two GJM members are found to have links with the incident that doesn't prove the involvement of the entire party," said Ahluwalia.

"To establish the truth, there is need for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe. I have spoken to (union home minister) Rajnath Singh in this regard. He has asked me to send him an inner party report on the situation."

GJM chief Bimal Gurung has already threatened to call a shutdown in the northern Bengal hills if the police harassment of his workers and leaders was not stopped.

However, Darjeeling district police officers have been maintaining that they have received lot of information on the Assam incidents which prove its link with some people in the hills.

The toll in the violence unleashed by Bodo militants rose to 73 Thursday. Rajnath Singh and two other union ministers are in Assam to review the law and order situation.

The Tuesday violence has been blamed on a hardline faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).