Arson on second day of bandh, shutdown relaxed for 2 days

Two cars were set on fire at Odlabari in Mal block and another car and scooter at Bagrakote near Siliguri during a clash between pro and anti bandh supporters, police sources said.

The police station at Jaigaon was also gheraoed by bandh supporters, they said.

The sources said that 100 persons were detained at Jaigaon for disturbing peace and for the gherao.

The indefinite bandh has been called by Terai Dooars Coordination Committee backed by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and the John Barla-led faction of the Adivasi Vikash Parishad.

The shutdown was to demand inclusion of Gorkha-dominated mouzas from the Terai and Dooars under the Gorkha Territorial Administration, the new hill council in Darjeeling, set up after a tripartite agreement between the Centre, the West Bengal government and the GJM.

The bandh would be 'relaxed' for two days from tomorrow, Barla said after a meeting of the Coordination Committee at Jaigaon where GJM president Bimal Gurung was present.

"If the government does not give us permission to hold public meetings, the indefinite bandh will resume from April 27," Barla said.

With the GJM not given permission to hold a meeting at Nagrakata on Sunday, its general secretary Roshan Giri warned that should the administration continue to act in this way, his party could 'reject' the GTA in future. MORE PTI COR AMD NN PC