Expelled GJM leader to hold fast-unto-death after Sep 12 meeting

Expelled Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Binay Tamang on Saturday said he, along with his friends, will hold a fast unto death after the September 12 all-party meeting to press the government for ending suffering of people in the north Bengal hills.

"We will hold a big public meeting. To put pressure on the government and seeing the suffering of the public, my friends and I, on any day after September 12, will go for fast unto death for the cause of Gorkhaland, Terai, Dooars and the hills. If (GJM leaders) Roshan Giri and Bimal ji (Gurung) are committed to the cause, then they should join in. They have not committed to it yet," said Tamang, the GJM's former Assistant General Secretary.

Tamang, who was also the chief coordinator of the party, was expelled along with another party leader on September 1 on charges of conspiring with the state's Mamata Banerjee government to derail the Gorkhaland movement.

Meanwhile, a eight-member delegation of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and other hill parties on Friday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and pressed for "tripartite talks" on the Gorkhaland issue.

The delegation consisted of GJM MLAs Rohit Sharma and Sarita Rai, party's central committee members Swaraj Thapa and Ashok Lama, General Secretary Giri, Communist Party Revolutionary Marxist's Arun Ghatani, Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League's Biplov Rai and Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha's Dawa Pakhrin.

"I was surprised to learn that Roshan Giri, who had a lookout notice on him, went beyond the law and attended the meeting in Delhi. He was there openly. Who is in collusion with the state.. is it me or Roshan Giri? This is clear," said Tamang.

Meanwhile, the GJM, in a statement, after the meeting, said: "Raising the one point agenda of Gorkhaland, the delegation members requested the Union Home Minister to initiate the process of tripartite talks on statehood issue."

The GJM also informed Rajnath Singh that it would attend the bipartite meeting called by Banerjee on September 12.

--IANS

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