Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Binay Tamang faction) has taken offence to comments made by Dilip Ghosh about Gorkhas who died in the 2017 statehood agitation. He has threatened to come out in protest if Ghosh does not retract his statement.
Tamang said, “In a television interview, Ghosh had dubbed the 11 martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the 2017 agitation as antisocial elements, who were rightly shot by the police for vandalising government property. He has also indicated that Gorkhas are foreigners and has likened them to dogs.” He also said that Ghosh’s statement is proof of BJP’s attitude towards Gorkhas in Bengal. The Bimal Tamang led GJM had teamed up with BJP for creation of Gorkhaland and due to faith in BJP’s support the Gorkhas had sacrificed their lives in the agitation for statehood. Tamang termed Ghosh’s statement as betrayal of Gorkhas.
Tamang also asked other Hill political parties who are BJP allies to speak up and seek clarification and an inquiry from BJP on Ghosh’s statement. Tamang said that Ghosh, through his statements indicated that Gorkhas are foreigners and likened Gorkhas to dogs.
While speaking on a TV programme about his comment “shaitans were shot like dogs”, Ghosh brought up the killings of 11 Gorkhas during the statehood agitation of 2017. He said, “The statement that you are referring to is not mine, but yours. I did not talk about protesters, I said those who are vandalising public properties should be shot…. it has happened in our state, Mamata Banerjee herself killed 11 Gorkhas as they were involved in vandalism.”
Related: