Siliguri, September 29: 'Indian Idol-3' Prashant Tamang today appealed for peace in Siliguri after violence and volatile shake the commercial town, where curfew was imposed and the army called in."I urge you all to maintain calm, otherwise I may not be able to concentrate in my career," Tamang said in an appeal on a private TV channel in Bengali and Nepali. He expressed hope that peace would return "and everyone will remain as happy as ever."
Trouble began when Prashant Tamang's fans were marching to the district magistrate's office in Siliguri to submit a memorandum demanding action against an FM channel's radio jockey for unsavory remarks about Tamang and Nepali/Gorkha in general. An ambulance got stuck in the traffic jam and when the police tried to make way for it, the fans began pelting the police. Within minutes the situation spiraled out of control. The police first lathicharged the mob then tear gassed them and finally fired in the air to disperse the crowd. When that failed to bring the situation under control and as reports came in of tension mounting in the hills of Darjeeling as well, the administration took rapid action and called in the army.
At least 11 persons have been admitted to hospital with injuries and the condition of one of them is critical. Thirty public vehicles and 8 police vehicles were damaged in the stone throwing and some of them were set on fire.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has filed a case against the offending radio channel.
''We are taking legal steps against the radio station. I have told the police here and also the Home Ministry to take legal steps,'' said Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Chief Minister, West Bengal.
A police team is being dispatched to Delhi in order to interrogate the FM channel's authorities.
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