A war of attrition has started between Binay Tamang and Roshan Giri with each accusing the other of trying to “mislead” the people on demands to recognise 11 hill communities as Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Tamang, the Gorkha Janumukti Morcha chief, had on Thursday made public two official documents from the Union ministry of tribal affairs indicating that the Registrar-General of India (RGI) had twice “not supported” Bengal government proposals to include the 11 groups as STs. The Union home ministry is the RGI’s parent department.

According to the documents, “only those proposals” recommended and justified by the state government and concurred with/by RGI and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) “are to be considered”.

In a social media statement on Friday accusing Tamang of “misleading” the people, Giri said: “At the end of the document, it is stated that ‘the report of the committee is awaited’.”

Giri is a confidant of former Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, a BJP ally who has been on the run since facing cases over last year’s statehood agitation in the hills.

According to Giri, the BJP is still sincere on the demand and the central document mentions that a committee, formed to examine the issue and make recommendations, is yet to hand in its report.

Hours after the claim, Tamang issued a statement seeking an explanation from Giri.

“The letter states that ONLY THOSE PROPOSALS which have been recommended and justified by the concerned state government and concurred with/by the Registrar General of India and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) ARE TO BE CONSIDERED for amendment legislation,” Tamang stressed in the statement.

“The BJP government is trying to gain sympathy by having formed this committee. If it was so sympathetic, why did the RGI reject the proposals sent by the state government?” Tamang asked.

The Morcha chief said his party “would not let go of the issue” and “force the BJP government’s appointed committee to submit a favourable report”. The committee was formed on April 2, 2016, and has been repeatedly missing deadlines for its report.

Tamang also requested the leaders of the 11 communities — Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunuwar, Thami, Yakha (Dewan) and Dhimal — to “formulate strategies to pressurise the Centre”. “The BJP is trying to play with the emotions of the hills and is using this committee to keep alive hopes,” Tamang said.

Roshan Giri Telegraph picture