New Delhi:  On Day 2 of bandh called by Gorkha organisations, the Centre on Tuesday sent 600 paramilitary troops to Darjeeling to help the West Bengal government in restoring normalcy. Cases of violence were reported during the GJM-sponsored bandh in the hill district. 

As the indefinite shutdown entered its second day on Tuesday, protesters started demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland. They pelted the police with stones in various parts of Darjeeling as they were stopped from enforcing their shutdown in many government offices.

Given the situation, a Home Ministry spokesperson said , “Around 400 personnel, already stationed in West Bengal, including 200 women, were sent to Darjeeling along with the additional forces.” 

“The Home Ministry was closely monitoring the situation in Darjeeling, we were ready to offer all assistance to the state government to restore normalcy there,” the spokesperson added.

On the other hand, GJM chief Bimal Gurung has slammed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for calling out the Army to control the situation in the hills. He said, “I am in constant touch with the Centre and was hopeful that its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would consider its demand for a separate state compassionately.”

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat in Kolkata, “The situation in the hill district was Peaceful.” She, however, said that the Centre did not seek any report on the Darjeeling situation from the state government.