Darjeeling, Jan. 31: With GNLF president Subhas Ghising mired in controversy for allegedly accepting commission from the tea industry, the party today said it has decided to file a defamation case against Darjeeling Planters’ Association and Madan Tamang, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League.

Tamang, while addressing public rallies in Darjeeling, Mirik and Kalimpong in the recent past, had alleged that Ghising had been accepting commission at the rate of 50 paise for every kilogram of Darjeeling tea sold for the past 15 years.

The allegation against Ghising has rocked the Darjeeling hills and a belligerent GNLF leadership went all out to defend its leader.

Gopimaya Gurung, president of the GNLF’s women’s wing, said: “The DPA must file a defamation case against Madan Tamang for making the allegation. If it does not, we will urge our chairman to file a defamation case against both the DPA and Tamang.” Gurung was addressing a rally at Chokbazar in Darjeeling today.

Participating in the rally, Taranga Pandit, a senior lawyer and a GNLF member, said the party would file the defamation case if the DPA failed to do so.

“We have decided to go ahead (filing of the case) within three to four weeks and we are waiting for the right situation,” he added.

At today’s rally, most of the GNLF speakers pointed out that the party was committed to the tea industry.

.B. Khawash, secretary of the Kurseong GNLF branch committee, said: “We are both pro-industry and pro-labour. We have not allowed militant unions to come up in the hills. And while most of the gardens in the Dooars and Terai are being closed, things are relatively better in the Darjeeling hills.”

The GNLF also raised questions about the status of the tea garden owned by Tamang at Meghma.

“It needs to be seen whether it is registered in India or in Nepal. We must also find out whether he is an Indian citizen or not,” said A.R. Dewan, general secretary of the GNLF’s Darjeeling branch committee.