Kolkata: Vikram Rai, the media manager of the Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha, was arrested from his home in Darjeeling early on Saturday, the sixth day of an indefinite strike called by the GJM to press for its Gorkhaland demand.
A police team landed at the residence of Vikram Rai, the son of Darjeeling MLA Amar Rai, and arrested him around 1am.
Speaking to News18.com, Amar Rai alleged the police were trying to “frame” hi son. “They raided my son’s residence in an undemocratic manner. He was framed by the police and picked up in front of his wife and young children early in the morning. We condemn this act. He is not a criminal, but the police treated him like one. They also ransacked his house.”
“On what grounds did they arrest my son? This is an attempt to suppress the voice of people who are demanding a separate state. Is it a crime to raise our demand?” he said, adding that he will take the matter to court.
In a separate development, police also raided the house of Vinay Tamang, a close aide of GJM chief Bimal Gurung, and seized some documents.
The women’s wing of the GJM took out rallies and protested against the police action, asking people to join the Gorkhaland movement.
Meanwhile, Gurung went underground as police started a massive operation against GJM activists for damaging government properties.
The GJM had announced an indefinite general strike from Monday in the hills encompassing Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts and the Dooars (foothills of the Himalayas covering stretches of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar district) protesting against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to make Bengali language compulsory in state-run schools.
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