Following the government decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and create a separate state called Telangana, similar demands spread to other rejoins like Assam, Bengal and UP.
While two persons were killed in police firing in Assam as violence escalated in the agitation demanding a separate Karbi Anglong state in Assam, the long pending demand for a Darjeeling state grew louder with the GJM on Thursday calling for an indefinite bandh in Darjeeling from Saturday to press for their demand.
As large-scale arson broke out, the Army, called in Wednesday, was on standby to assist the Karbi Anglong district administration with police and paramilitary forces on patrol. A person named Gautam Timung was killed in police firing taking the death toll to two in Karbi Anglong district with statehood agitators defying indefinite curfew and targeting All-India Radio and other public buildings in Diphu over the demand for a separate state carved out of two Assam districts. The incident happened when agitators tried to remove a section of railway line after they were repaired following removal of another portion at a place between Doldoli and Dhansiri on the Diphu-Dimapur line.
A 22-year-old college student Rahul Signa, who was injured in the police firing on Wednesday, died of his injuries late last night. The police fired in the air near the All India Radio building after agitators set ablaze satellite dishes halting broadcast and relay and torched a waiting room made of wood. Also set on fire were wooden offices of the Public Works Department, Forest and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. The office of the Assam Sahitya Sabha, Assam's apex literary body, was damaged as also books.
Meanwhile, reversing its decision within hours after the arrival of central forces in the hills, the GJM said it took a 'hard decision' for an indefinite bandh in Darjeeling from Saturday to demand a Gorkhaland state on the lines of Telangana. Accusing the Bengal government of trying to 'crush a democratic movement', GJM leader Harka Bahadur Chhetri said, "We had to take a hard stand." "There will be indefinite bandh in the hills from August 3. There will be no relaxation," he added.
Earlier in the day, GJM general secretary and spokesman Roshan Giri had said that in view of Eid, the GJM would give some relaxation and the shutdown would be for 96-hours. Bengal minister Gautam Deb said that steps would be taken to deal with any violence, while stating that the Centre would be equally accountable.
