By IANS,
New Delhi : Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury Saturday asked the Election Commission to ensure the presence of central paramilitary forces in the Darjeeling hills after polling day to ensure the safety of voters in the area.
Yechury, who is just back from Darjeeling after addressing election rallies, said in his complaint: “The separatist Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) is in public threatening the people not to vote for the CPI-M candidate. They have threatened the voters of dire consequences if they violate their diktat.”
“The Election Commission concurred with the opinion of the CPI-M that in Darjeeling, the opponents backed by GJM are violating the model code of conduct,” Yechury told reporters here after submitting the memorandum to Election Commissioners S.Y. Qureshi and V.S. Sampath.
Darjeeling votes April 30 in the third phase of the five phase general elections.
Yechury also criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its double standards on the issue of a separate Gorkhaland state.
“While the state unit of BJP is opposed unequivocally to the formation of Gorkhaland state, their central leader Jaswant Singh is contesting from Darjeeling, assuring GJM that they will support the demand for the formation of Gorkhaland state after the elections,” the CPI-M leader pointed out.