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Dilip Ghosh shown black flags and greeted with ‘Go Back’ slogans on his trip to Darjeeling

State president of BJP in West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh again faced protests in the Darjeeling-hills. On Tuesday, the people of the hill showed him black flags as well as a long demonstration was held surrounding his car. On the way up the hill (Darjeeling), he had to hear the slogan of ‘Go back’ in several places.

The BJP state president after leaving Kolkata arrived at Bagdogra airport this morning to join the party’s transformation programme in Darjeeling. He was accompanied by Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh. With regards to the black flags and the Go Back slogans, Ghosh blamed TMC for the incidents.

Even after landing at Bagdogra airport, Ghosh did not realize that he would have to face embarrassment again on the way up the hill(towards Darjeeling). His claims about the BJP’s political capital in the hills of Darjeeling will possibly be proved wrong, given that a crucial political player, Bimal Gurung, has switched his support to the TMC-camp. Ghosh said, “Everything will change from the plains to the hills. The hills (Darjeeling) and hills’ people need development. But the state government did not pay attention to that.”

Also see: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election 2021

Dilip Ghosh also verbally attacked his erstwhile-ally Bimal Gurung and his remarks that the people of the hills are no longer accepting him (Dilip Ghosh) for what he has done with the people of the hills. Ghosh said, “Everyone in the hills wants BJP. We are going to give the message that we are with them.”

Within hours of making this statement, however, the BJP state president realized how angry the hill people were with his party. As soon as Dilip Ghosh’s convoy climbed the hills of Darjeeling, the locals first blocked the road near Karshiang railway station and showed him a black flag. Then he had to face the black flags at Ghum & Darjeeling railway stations also.

Also Read: Prior to 2021 polls in Bengal, issue of GTA remains contentious- Background and current developments in the Gorkhaland-GTA issue

Few years back in 2016, Dilip Ghosh had to face protests in the hills of Darjeeling. In that year, after huge protests & associated movements in the context of the Gorkhaland issue, the hills & the populace had just begun to settle down with tensions calming down. Ghosh had come to Darjeeling at that time. On a particular day, the people of Shailshahar had not only protested against him, but had also almost attacked him. At that time, however, he blamed Binoy Tamang for the incident.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

Today, after the protests and the slogans, Dilip Ghosh has pointed the finger of blame towards Bimal Gurung, apart from TMC, without naming him. Ghosh is reluctant to give importance to today’s events of protests against him. He stated that in order to make their existence known, some people are carrying out such incidents.

Dilip Ghosh added that, despite the black flags and protests on the way, the rally at the Darjeeling Motor Stand did not fail to win the hearts of the hill people. He assured that BJP would come to power and solve all the problems of the hill-people. Raju Bista, BJP MP from Darjeeling, said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had done nothing for the hill, further adding that those who want to see Ms. Banerjee in the Chief Minister’s chair for the third time will not be satisfied.

Also See: What are the problem areas of TMC and the chances of BJP in this election season in West Bengal

Meanwhile, on his way to Raiganj after completing his Darjeeling programme, Dilip Ghosh spent some time at the BJP’s party office in Islampur.

“Those who once considered Darjeeling as their zamindari have now collapsed,” Ghosh told reporters after the black flags were displayed in Darjeeling. Referring to the recent spate of defections, he added that TMC-people are joining BJP, hence others are shouting. He added that after two or four months, they (the protesters) will not be found.

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GJM leader Bimal Gurung said BJP failed to keep promises made to hill people and that the Darjeeling MP must resign

GJM leader Bimal Gurung

Alleging that the BJP has failed to keep its promises made to the people residing in the Darjeeling hills, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Bimal Gurung on Sunday demanded the resignation of the saffron party’s local MP Raju Bista. Accusing the BJP of never clarifying its position on the Gorkhaland issue, Bimal Gurung demanded the resignation of Darjeeling MP Raju Bista.

Gurung, who had left the hills during a violent Gorkhaland statehood agitation in 2017, re-emerged in Kolkata in October, snapping decade-old ties with the BJP and vowing to support Mamata Banerjee-led TMC in the West Bengal assembly elections due in April-May next year.

At a rally organized by the GJM faction that he leads Gurung said, “Even though we supported the BJP in previous elections, the party failed to keep its promises.” Accusing the BJP of never clarifying its position on the Gorkhaland issue, he demanded the resignation of the Darjeeling MP Raju Bista.

Gurung reached Siliguri, the gateway to the Darjeeling hills, after almost three-and-half years, on Sunday afternoon to address a public meeting at Indira Gandhi Maidan, organized to welcome him and other party workers who went into hiding after the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation.

Bimal Gurung, whose GJM had supported the BJP earlier, accused the saffron party of being indifferent to the aspirations of the hill people and asked his supporters to root for the TMC in the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.

Accusing Anit Thapa and Binay Tamang, the leaders of the breakaway faction of the GJM, of corruption, Gurung said that he will soon hold rallies and meetings across Darjeeling hills, Terai, and Dooars region.

The hills have suffered long spates of agitation over the statehood demand, the first of which was led by the then Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) chief Subash Ghising. The reigns of the agitation were later taken over by Ghising’s one-time protégé and later bete noire Gurung, who broke away from the GNLF to form the GJM.

On June 8, 2017, protests were held by the undivided GJM in Darjeeling as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was holding a state cabinet meeting, alleging that the state government was trying to impose the Bengali language on the Nepali-speaking Gorkhas through its education policy.

Darjeeling simmered in tension as an indefinite shutdown called by Gurung-led GJM continued for 104 days amid sporadic violence in various places in the hills during the period. The prolonged shutdown had caused fissures within the GJM leadership. It also cost it support from other hill parties, helping Banerjee to seize the opportunity to quell the protests.

Gurung and his close associate Roshan Giri left the hills as Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa emerged as the new faces of GJM, which split into two factions.