New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) leader Subash Ghising Thursday passed away at the Sir Gangaram Hospital here due to liver failure, hospital sources said. He was 79.

Ghising was admitted to the hospital five days back and was being treated for cirrhosis of liver by a team of doctors led by Anil Arora, the sources said.

He passed away in the morning, the sources said. He had been admitted to the hospital with a similar problem two months back, they said.

Ghising founded the GNLF in 1980 to spearhead the Gorkhaland movement in north Bengal hills. He was the chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council from 1988 to 2008.