Gorkha Leader Bimal Gurung Appears In Public For The First Time In 3 Years

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Kolkata: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung, missing since 2017 following agitation for statehood in Darjeeling, was spotted outside Gorkha Bhavan in Kolkata’s Salt Lake area on Wednesday, where he was scheduled to address a press meet.

West Bengal Police did not, however, arrest Gurung, who faces charges in over 150 cases including under UAPA, for alleged involvement in the 2017 agitation, a News18 report said.

GJM, the organization fronting the Gorkhaland movement demanding statehood for Gorkhas, saw its chief Bimal Gurung going underground in September 2017 after one policeman was killed in a confrontation allegedly with his supporters.

“I came here for a press conference and I will certainly do it,” Gurung told the media. He was not allowed to enter Gorkha Bhavan by the authorities, and the leader, who was clicked sitting in his car, had to leave.

This is the first time Gurung has been seen in public in three years. According to an NDTV report, he is likely to address the media at an alternative venue later.