The CPM rally on Hill Cart Road in Siliguri on Monday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, May 5: Darjeeling district CPM leaders have hit back at Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung for his “indecent” comments about Bengal urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya while talking to reporters at Cooch Behar’s Dinhata yesterday.

At a meeting called by the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party and Kamtapur Progressive Party, Gurung had said: “Now that we (the Morcha) have been allowed to hold a rally in Siliguri …, Asok Bhattacharya is free to visit the hills, hold meetings, dance and sing and do whatever he wants to.”

“Being the president of a party which calls itself democratic, he (Gurung) should refrain from making such indecent comments,” Jibitesh Sarkar, a state committee member of the CPM, said here today. “The CPM is proud of the culture of the Gorkhas who have always been decent in their behaviour and conversations. Gurung’s statement directed at a state minister is in sharp contrast to this culture.”

Sarkar added that there could be differences in the ideologies of the CPM and the Morcha, but that should not lead to personal attacks. “We have been opposing the Morcha’s demand for a separate state, but none of us have ever made any offensive remark about any of their leaders.”

This evening, the CPM organised a rally in Siliguri calling for peace and amity in the hills. More than 7,000 supporters started off from Baghajatin Park and travelled 3km via Hashmi Chowk, Hill Cart Road, Airview More, Siliguri Junction and Darjeeling More before they stopped at Mallaguri More.

The media and publicity secretary of the Morcha, Binay Tamang, told reporters today that the party was circulating a set of instructions among its supporters who wanted to attend the public meeting at Indira Maidan on the outskirts of Siliguri on May 7. The instructions include:

Avoid provocative slogans and slogans against any individual

Do not go to marketplaces in Siliguri

Park vehicles at spaces specified by the traffic police

At least one local Morcha leader to be in each vehicle with list of passengers

Carry contact number of the leader and number of the vehicle

“We are doing all this to maintain peace and amity in Siliguri,” Tamang said. “We request all other political parties to pass on similar instructions to their supporters. The administration should also keep a tab on criminals to stop any attempt by them to create tension.”

Senior administrative officials also met at the circuit house to chalk out their plan for the Morcha meeting.