Binay Tamang on Thursday announced that unless he “waves the green flag” his archrival Bimal Gurung would not be able to return to the hills.

Tamang, in the same vein, asked Gurung’s supporters not to be excited too soon.

Ever since Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Gurung, who was on the run for the last three years, surfaced in Calcutta on October 21 and announced his decision to sever ties with the BJP and support Trinamul Congress in the upcoming Bengal assembly, both he and Tamang, the leader of the rival faction of the same party, have refused to share any platform. Tamang is also an ally of Trinamul.

With tensions intensifying, the most talked-about topics in the hills are the return of Gurung and the law and order situation.

“Unless Binay Tamang waves the green flag from here, he (Gurung) cannot move from Calcutta,” said Tamang and urged Gurung’s supporters not to be “too excited.” “We know what has transpired in the meeting (between Gurung faction and Trinamul leaders),” claimed Tamang.

Following the October development in Calcutta, Gurung’s supporters are holding meetings across the hills.

Tamang claimed that the fate of Gurung would be similar to former Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) leader Subash Ghisingh.

Soon after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha gained popularity in the hills, Ghisingh was forced to stay in Jalpaiguri and Siliguri for nearly five years at a stretch from 2008 onwards following opposition by Morcha leaders, including both Gurung and Tamang.

“Then the green flags (GNLF cadres) used to say that he (Ghisingh) will climb the hills next week. I tell you the fate of Bimal Gurung will be like Appa (as Ghisingh was addressed by his supporters). They (Gurung’s supporters) will say he will come and then they will give another date,” said Tamang.

Leaders of the Gurung faction are now saying that Bimal Gurung would climb up the hills after following due legal processes which they claim should be completed “within a fortnight.”

The other issue that Tamang raised was the possibility of a law and order problem on Gurung’s return. “Even before Gurung’s return his supporters are trying to create unrest,” said Tamang and referred to a Darjeeling incident where a Tamang supporter was stabbed and injured allegedly by Gurung’s supporters.

Reacting sharply these claims, Mani Gurung, leader of the Gurung faction, accused Tamang of “day dreaming.”

“I think he might be daydreaming, we have nothing to say (to these statements),” said Mani.

Mani refuted the claim of violence and instead said that Tamang’s supporters tried to disturb their meeting. “They are trying to provoke our supporters and trying to muddy the waters in the wake of our leader returning to Darjeeling. Even last night (Wednesday) they tried to create disturbance,” said Mani.

The Tamang faction has also decided to hold a public meeting in Tukvar, Gurung’s bastion, after Diwali. Tamang said a notification to conduct a survey on tea gardens to grant land rights would be issued soon by the state government.

“I would also like to thank the chief minister on her decision to raise a Gorkha battalion with a strength of 1000 personnel,” said Tamang.