BGPM workers attacked, two admitted to Darjeeling hospital

REZA PRADHAN

DARJEELING, : Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) president Anit Thapa has condemned the attack on party cadres at Kaijaley in Bijanbari late Friday night and has urged all parties to maintain peace in the Hills and avoid violence.

According to BGPM leaders, two of their cadres - Satyam Subba and Sanjay Subba - were attacked with sharp weapons by individuals who allegedly came out of a vehicle carrying a BJP flag. The attackers, the BGPM claimed, were returning from a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Noman Rai’s election campaign in the area.

Rai is the BJP’s candidate from the Darjeeling Assembly Constituency.

“Those who attacked our cadres came out from a vehicle carrying a BJP flag. They allegedly used sharp weapons, leaving one with a head injury and the other with injuries to his fingers during the altercation,” said BGPM president Anit Thapa, who visited the injured at Darjeeling Sadar Hospital where they are currently admitted.

While Satyam Subba sustained head injuries, Sanjay Subba suffered injuries to his hand. A police complaint has been filed against four individuals and others, including members of both the BJP and Morcha.

The complaint also alleges that Morcha president Bimal Gurung and Darjeeling MP Raju Bista conspired to instigate the attack during a meeting held a day earlier.

“I have been repeatedly saying that elections should be conducted peacefully. After yesterday’s incident, our cadres were also agitated, and I had to calm them down to prevent further escalation. If that had happened, the entire Hills region would have been affected. We restored peace here after a difficult period, and there should be no unrest again,” Thapa said, urging leaders across parties and the public to maintain peace in the Hills.

He further appealed to people not to be influenced by leaders instigating violence, stating that those who act on such provocation will face consequences, not the leaders themselves. He also said he would pursue the matter legally.

Thapa added that the public should understand that if such acts of violence are carried out under the BJP flag, it raises serious concerns about future implications.

On the other hand, reacting to the allegations, BJP Darjeeling district spokesperson Nakul Chettri said, “We are saddened by the incident that took place at Bijanbari. The BJP has no connection with what transpired there. We want peace, prosperity, and development in the Hills and a healthy political culture. We request that the party’s reputation not be tarnished.”