Bimal Gurung welcomes SC order, reveals plans to visit Delhi

Suspended GJM chief Bimal Gurung on Tuesday thanked the Supreme Court for restraining West Bengal Police from taking any "coercive action" against him for the next 15 days and said he is planning to visit Delhi within the given time frame.

In a fresh audio message from an undisclosed location, Gurung also thanked the fellow Gorkhas who prayed for his safety and well-being and claimed that the Supreme Court order was "a big blow to the forces trying to brand him as unconstitutional".

The Supreme Court on Monday restrained Bengal police from resorting to "any coercive action" against Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Bimal Gurung.

"Issue notice, returnable in two weeks. In the meantime, no coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner," a bench of justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said in an order while seeking the Bengal government's response on the issue within two weeks.

The veteran GJM leader has been absconding since the West Bengal police slapped charges of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and issued a lookout notice against him.

The latest audio message from Gurung came a day after the factional fight in the GJM took another twist, with the party's "central committee" on Monday suspending him and his close aides for six months and electing Binay Tamang as the new party chief.

However, earlier, the Gurung faction had expelled Tamang and his close associate Anit Thapa from the party.

Stating that he was aware that the people in the hills were waiting for him to come out, Gurung said he would "carefully utilise" the 15-day time frame to work for the relief of the people who were either arrested during the Gorkhaland agitation or continued to be in hiding.

Gurung assured he would come out among the people very soon and continue his fight for the statehood demand of Gorkhaland in a constitutional way.

He also condemned the "random burning" of houses of his associates in the Darjeeling hills.

--IANS

str-mgr/ssp/nir