After two days of sporadic violence, Darjeeling, Siliguri and nearby areas, hit by the Gorkhaland agitation, remained peaceful.
Bhattacharjee invited (GJM chief) Bimal Gurung and his followers to meet him separately on June 18 at Writers' Buildings to discuss the Darjeeling issue, sources in the chief minister's secretariat said. The talks were scheduled separately with the GJM after an all-party meeting a day earlier.
However, the offer was rejected by the GJM after a central committee meeting of the outfit in Darjeeling. The party dismissed as "irrelevant" the agenda of the meeting.
"The GJM central committee rejected the offer to sit for dialogue with the chief minister because the agenda of the meeting was development of the Darjeeling hills," party General Secretary Roshan Giri said.
"The central committee felt that the demand for Gorkhaland was a political demand and the offer to discuss development in Darjeeling hills was irrelevant," Giri said.
He said if the state government was interested in settling the issue, it should take the initiative for tripartite talks with the Centre and GJM representatives with the agenda being confined solely to Gorkhaland.
Reacting to the rejection of his offer by the GJM, the chief minister merely said "let us see what happens."
The GJM further relaxed its indefinite bandh till 6:00 am on Monday, Giri said, following an appeal for peace by Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi.
Meanwhile, the second day of the 48-hour bandh called in Siliguri by Amra Bangali, Jana Chetna Manch, Jana Jagaran Manch and Bangla Bhasha Bachao Committee was curtailed and ended at 2:00 pm.
Few shops opened afterwards as heavy rains descended on the North Bengal town. The Sahsastra Seema Bal conducted a flag march in the key commercial town of Siliguri for the second day today.
