Tamang dares Bimal Gurung to return to Darjeeling

Expelled GJM leader Binay Tamag today alleged that he was receiving death threats and challenged party chief Bimal Gurung to come out of hiding and return to Darjeeling.
Tamang, who asserted that no one has the right to expel him as he is the founding member of the Gorkha Janmukti Party (GJM) party, today wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh requesting him to find a solution to the Darjeeling crisis.
"I am receiving death threats for the last few days. I feel that I too will meet the same fate as Madan Tamang who was killed in 2010. Who are Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri to expel me? I am the founding member of the party.

"It is very easy to give lecture by hiding in some place. If Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri have the guts, let them come back to the hills," Tamang said in a press conference.
Tamang alleged GJM general secretary Roshan Giri is misleading Gurung in order to serve his own vested interests.
"They accused me of playing into the hands of state government. But now they too have agreed to sit for talks with the state government on September 12. Then what wrong did I do? Before announcing the suspension of the shutdown, I had taken the permission of Bimal Gurung over the phone. This is an absolute lie that I did not take any permission," he said.

The indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling entered its 81st day today.

"People are facing lot of problems due to this shutdown. We should respect people's desire and withdraw the strike," he said.
The shutdown in the hills is on after Gurung revoked the then party convenor Tamang's decision of suspending it till September 12, the day when the next round of dialogue with the state government is scheduled.
The GJM chief had expelled Tamang on Friday on charges of "violating the party line and indulging in anti-party activities".