Binay Tamang urges Governor to initiate talks with Centre

Binoy Tamang press conference outside Governor house,after the meeting with governor In Kolkata on Sunday, October 15, 2017. Express photo

Binay Tamang, leader of a GJM faction, met Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Sunday and apprised him of the present situation in Darjeeling hills. Tamang, who is also the Chairman of Board of Administrators under Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, said that he urged the Governor to initiate talks with the Centre on the issue of Gorkhaland.

“Today, we apprised the Governor of the situation in the Hills and how normalcy has returned there. We have also informed him that arms and ammunition have been recovered from various parts of the Hills. We have also told him that we want to talk to the central government regarding this.

The Centre must intervene to look into such things as it is a strategic location bordering Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. We have requested the Governor to apprise the central government of this and initiate talks on all pending issues, including Gorkhaland,” he told reporters outside Raj Bhavan.

Sources said Tamang had urged the Governor to request the central government to invite them for the tripartite meeting instead of either GJM chief Bimal Gurung or any member of his faction. As a lookout notice has been issued against him, Gurung is unlikely to be asked to attend the meeting.

Tamang further said that they would attend the Monday’s all-party meeting at state secretariat Nabanna to be chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “Tomorrow, we will attend the all-party meeting at the state secretariat as GJM leaders. All our three MLAs, me and vice-chairman of Board of Administrator Anit Thapa will be present in the meeting,” he said.