Police earlier fired tear gas shells and lathicharged GJM supporters who tried to march to the venue of the cabinet meeting to protest "imposition" of Bengali language in schools in the hills. The hill town, which is at present full of tourists, had remained peaceful for several months as the GJM-spearheaded agitation for a separate state of Gorkhaland had taken a backseat.
Fresh violence erupted this afternoon with the Bimal Gurung-led party calling a protest march towards the Raj Bhavan, where the cabinet meeting was taking place.