Kolkata: After demanding separate statehood for North Bengal, BJP Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khan on Monday demanded separate statehood of Jungle Mahal.
“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi and rest of the central leaders as outsiders and soon she can call the youth of Rarh Bangla (the region comprising Bankura, Purulia) as outsiders as she stays in Kolkata. There is no harm in making Jungle Mahal a separate state,” claimed Saumitra.
The BJP MP also expressed his dissent that the TMC didn’t keep any ministers from Jungle Mahal and North Bengal and claimed that they are feeling neglected.
Sticking to the point that it is not a party’s decision to divide West Bengal, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said that BJP’s objective is to develop West Bengal but by not changing the geography of the state.
“The party did not support such claims of dividing the state. Moreover, we are trying to distance ourselves from these MPs,” stated Ghosh.
Notably, Alipurduar MP John Barla had been for sometime demanding separate statehood for North Bengal and claims that if North Bengal is under central government then people of that region will be safe.
Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress called the move of BJP as an ‘unplanned game’.
Slamming the BJP, TMC MP Saugata Roy asked the saffron camp that if the BJP doesn’t want to divide the state then why the party isn’t distancing themselves from Saumitra and John.
West Bengal Congress Chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the BJP is playing ‘narrow politics’ and also alleged that the BJP’s failure in winning West Bengal has led them to heckle the state.
TMC had lodged a FIR against the BJP Alipurduar MP John Barla at Dinhata police station.
Incidentally, BJP district president of Alipurduar Ganga Prasad Sharma along with eight BJP leaders of that region joined TMC and claimed that their MPs demand of statehood had forced them to join TMC.
Welcoming them to TMC, party leader Mukul Roy stated that through such moves it is evident that the fall of BJP has started.
Notably, BJP has won all five Assembly seats in Alipurduar.
Meanwhile, in order to take stock of post-poll violence, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is on a seven-day visit to North Bengal.
On his way to Darjeeling, he was shown black flags at three places by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters repeating their demands of Gorkhaland.
It can be recalled that the hills were in unrest in 2017 as the GJM supporters demanded separate Gorkhaland and alleged that the Gorkhas are not being taken care of by the Trinamool Congress-run West Bengal government.
A GJM activist said that if the BJP can support separate statehood to North Bengal and Jungle Mahal then they should support the issue of Gorkhaland as well.
It is pertinent to mention that in 2005 demand of making greater Cooch Behar sparked severe violence and has also claimed lives of several policemen.
