Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung on Sunday termed a “white lie” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that the agitation in the Darjeeling hills was supported by insurgent groups.
Ms. Banerjee on Saturday called the agitation a “deep-rooted conspiracy” supported by the insurgent groups of the Northeast and some foreign countries. “The allegations are baseless. Ms. Banerjee is trying to mislead the people. It is not a political fight but a fight for our identity. We will not stop until Gorkhaland is created. The struggle will be intensified in the hills,” Mr. Gurung said in a statement.
On the boil for the past 10 days over a separate State demand, Darjeeling witnessed widespread clashes between GJM activists and the police on Saturday.