Mixed day for Bimal Gurung.
In a sensational development on Monday, Binay Tamang claiming the support of majority of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders, suspended Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha Gurung, Roshan Giri and 11 others for six months, from the party.
Tamang also claimed that he has been elected as president of GJM by majority of the party’s central committee members and Anit Thapa has been chosen as the general secretary.
Tamang in presence of several GJM leaders conducted a meeting at Ghum near Darjeeling on Monday. “The GJM central committee met today and suspended Bimal Gurung, Roshan Giri and 12 others for being absent from the hills and not doing their duty,” Tamang said after the meeting. General secretary of GJM, Giri, on the other hand, said the suspension was illegal. “Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa have been expelled from the party. They don't have any right to suspend anyone. It is illegal,” Giri said.
In a temporary relief to Gurung, Supreme Court has ordered a stay against arresting him till the next hearing. Hearing an anticipatory bail plea by Gurung the apex court passed the order on Monday. Sources indicate that Gurung may now come out of hiding. As soon as news of the court order reached hills, Gurung supporters started setting off fireworks.
In September Tamang and Thapa had been expelled from the party for their ‘anti-party’ activities. After all the 45 members of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) had resigned from their posts, West Bengal government made Tamang the head of GTA and appointed Thapa as a member.
While Gurung has been on the run after the state booked him under several non-bailable sections including UA(P)A, Tamang is slowly looking to increase his influence at the hills, with the support of the state government.
Thapa, considered to be the right hand man of Tamang, too had been proactive in garnering support from GJM leaders including elected councillors of the four municipalities at the hills. With their leader at large, Gurung supporters too are either in hiding or have taken refuge in New Delhi.
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