Gangtok, Feb. 21: Commuters to and from Sikkim are bearing the brunt of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s agitation, even though the party is allowing vehicles registered in the Himalayan state to ply along NH31A.

The Sikkim commuters were caught in traffic snarls all along the highway, as the vehicles carrying the Morcha supporters to Siliguri were stopped at Rambhi and Kalijhora, about 15km ahead of Sevoke, by the Darjeeling district administration. Similar situations prevailed in Melli, Teesta, Tarkhola and on the Bengal side of Rangpo.

The Morcha supporters were going to Siliguri to join the hunger strike at the subdivisional office (SDO) there.

Arjun Pradhan, a resident of Gangtok who was returning from Siliguri, was among the many affected passengers. “We learnt from newspaper reports that Sikkim vehicles are being allowed during the bandh. Keeping that in mind, we had started early in the morning, but were stuck in jam near Rambi for the whole day,” Pradhan said.

Binay Tamang, the Morcha spokesperson, said the traffic jam was “unintentional”. “We are not stopping Sikkim vehicles,” he said.

Despite the Morcha claim, Sikkim vehicles were being stopped by Bengal taxi drivers and party supporters at Salugara, near Siliguri, and several other places. The traffic jam had prompted many drivers not to venture out. “We learnt about the snarls and decided to stay back,” said Ratan Chettri, a driver here.