Warning in Delhi

Rosan giri

TT; NISHIT DHOLABHAI  New Delhi, Jan. 31: A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha delegation today met Union home secretary R.K Singh and told him that Gorkhaland will have to be formed if a Telangana state is created. “We apprised him (R.K. Singh) of the present political situation and told him that if the government considers Telangana, Gorkhaland is also a long-standing demand…. People will agitate (if the demand is not fulfiled),” Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said after the meeting.

 The Morcha leaders said the home secretary told them that since the GTA was formed recently, people should not agitate. “We told him that in the GTA agreement it is clearly mentioned that the Gorkhaland demand will not be dropped,” Giri said. The Morcha revived its statehood agitation after the party leadership felt the Centre was likely to announce the formation of Telangana. 

 Giri had talked of a “relentless” movement till their demand was fulfiled. Singh today told the Morcha leaders that their sentiments would be conveyed to Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. The hill party leaders had met Shinde on January 11. 

 The Morcha is likely to keep up the pressure on Delhi. Today, the hill leaders also met BJP leader Jaswant Singh, who is the MP from Darjeeling. Jaswant Singh told the hill delegation that since the GTA had been achieved, the next stage was a Union Territory status, followed by full statehood, the Morcha leaders said.

 The hill party’s protest at Jantar Mantar continued today with supporters chanting: “Jai Kali, Mahakali, Jai Jai Gorkhali.” Giri said Jaswant Singh would take part in the dharna tomorrow. The agitation will continue till February 3.