BJP MP Raju Bista on Tuesday came out strongly against the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM)'s ongoing protests and “warned” that the agitators would be left “red-faced” when 11 Gorkha communities were categorised as Scheduled Tribes.

The BGPM, which is an ally of the Trinamul Congress, has been holding demonstrations since Monday against the BJP's failure to grant tribal status to the 11 hill communities and find "a permanent political solution" or PPS for the hills as promised by the BJP before the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

The BGPM launched the protests after the last session of the current Lok Sabha ended on Saturday.

“The Parliament Session for 17th Lok Sabha may have ended, but the BJP Govt continues, and our party will fulfill all our commitments some sooner, and some may take a bit longer,” the Darjeeling MP said in a written statement.

“I am telling them once again — be careful. When the Gorkha ST announcement is made, you guys will be left red-faced. Gorkha ST and PPS are BJP agenda and BJP will fulfil them,” said Bista.

However, a BGPM leader termed Bista’s statement a desperate act. “The statement is just a desperate act of Raju Bista. The BJP MP is trying to clutch at straws,” said the BGPM leader, adding the party would intensify its movement to highlight the BJP’s failures.

As part of the “jagaran yatra” or awareness campaign, the BGPM has decided to hold protests at the gram panchayat level after the three-day demonstrations at the district and the sub-divisional headquarters end on Wednesday.

The BGPM held dharnas in front of government offices in Darjeeling on Tuesday despite the offices being closed on account of a government holiday.

The BGPM also plans to organise a major rally in the Terai to highlight the BJP’s failures.