Army personnel stand guard along a street during an indefinite strike in Darjeeling on Monday. AFP

Darjeeling, June 12

Gorkhaland supporters today vandalised government offices in Darjeeling as the GJM-sponsored indefinite shutdown forced tourists out of the picturesque hill station due to threat of violence.The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which controls the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), has called a shutdown of all state and GTA offices to press its demand for creation of a separate state.The Mamata Banerjee government, with which the Gorkha outfit has been on a collision course over introduction of Bengali language in schools in the hills, however, claimed offices recorded “normal” attendance. The GJM leadership has called the government measure an “encroachment” on their distinct Nepali identity and culture.“People have defied GJM’s diktat and attended office. We hope good sense will prevail,” state’s Tourism Minister Gautam Deb said. He claimed government and GTA offices recorded normal attendance in Darjeeling and other hill towns in north Bengal, including Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik.Suspected GJM activists damaged a panchayat office and a PWD office in the hills and did picketing at some places in Kurseong and Kalimpong. The agitators burnt furniture, broke window panes and smashed computers at the PWD office in Darjeeling.The police said eight GJM activists were detained for allegedly trying to set afire the Block Development Office at Phulbazar in Bijanbari block.GJM general secretary Roshan Giri denied his party’s involvement in vandalisation of government offices. He, however, claimed the response to the “appeal” for the shutdown was “good”.“We could have enforced the bandh but we have not done that. We only appealed to the people,” he said, adding “the state government may claim almost cent per cent attendance but that is not the case.”“We want central intervention. Our party chief has written to the PM and Home Minister to consider our demand (for Gorkhaland),” said Giri, whose party is an ally of the NDA. — PTI