Gorkhaland protest: GJM supporters burn GTA accord copies in Darjeeling

Kolkata: Violent protest was witnessed in Darjeeling, West Bengal, on Tuesday, as supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha burnt copies of the tripartite Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) accord.

'West Bengal: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters burn the GTA agreement in demand for #Gorkhaland state in #Darjeeling,' tweeted ANI.

The burning of copies of the GTA accord, signed in 2011, is seen as a final message from the GJM leaders that they won't rest till their demand for a separate Gorkhaland state is not met by the government.

Initially, the GJM supporters did not reveal when and where exactly they were going to burn copies of the Gorkha accord. Reports suggested that Darjeeling and



Pintail village in the foothills were likely to be two of the locations. The accord was signed in Pintail village near Siliguri six years ago.

The GJM was ruling over the GTA till recently when all the 45 elected GJM members resigned from the semi-autonomous body. The semi-autonomous body without its ruling members holds no meaning currently.

In view of Tuesday's protest, security has been beefed up across Darjeeling and neighbouring hills. The indefinite bandh called by the GJM is on in the hills.

Since the beginning of June, protests and violence over Gorkhaland rocked the hills in West Bengal. Tragedy hit Darjeeling on June 17, when three supporters of the GJM were killed in a police firing.