Gorkhaland protests: Agitators burn down two government offices after West Bengal govt decides to withdraw army

Darjeeling (West Bengal): Amid the withdrawal of army from the hills on the state government request, the pro-Gorkhaland agitators continued to run amok Thursday, burning down two government offices at Lamahatta in Darjeeling.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters threw petrol bombs at a revenue department office and a panchayat office, reducing them to ashes, the police said.

The supporters of the GJM and other hill parties also held a demonstration on Thursday outside the district magistrate’s office demanding restoration of internet services which remained suspended for the last 32 days.

The army, meanwhile, was withdrawn from the restive hills after the state government sought its pull-out on 18 July, a defence official said Thursday.

“The army was deployed in the hills on July eight on request from the state government. The army was withdrawn on July 18 as the state government sought its withdrawal,” a defence official said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a delegation of various hill parties met West Bengal governor KN Tripathi Thursday and submitted a memorandum regarding the situation in the hills.

While talking to reporters later on the sidelines of a programme, Tripathi said, “They came to meet me. I have told them to create an atmosphere so that normalcy could be restored in that area.”

Some political party activists, dressed in traditional Nepali attire, took out rallies in the morning.

The police and security forces patrolled the streets and kept a tight vigil at every entry and exit points. All shops, restaurants, hotels, schools and colleges remained closed except pharmacies.