Mamata blasts BJP for withdrawing central forces

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday strongly crticised the Union Home Ministry’s decision to withdraw 10 companies of central paramilitary forces (CPFs) from the trouble-torn Darjeeling hills and blamed the ruling BJP for trying to destabilise and divide the state.

“We were shocked to learn the sudden withdrawal of CPFs from Darjeeling. It came at a time when peace was gradually being restored in the area. This withdrawal is unfortunate and unilateral. It also defies all norms, practices and spirit of the federal structure. It was only after I called up Home Minister Rajnath Singh that out of 10, seven companies were withdrawn. It is the BJP decision and the Centre’s conspiracy against the state and people of Darjeeling,” Banerjee said at the state secretariat after the third round of talks between the state government and the hill parties on various issues of the hills.

The chief minister went a step further and without naming BJP MP of Darjeeling S S Ahluwalia, said the Darjeeling MP was behind “the whole conspiracy”.

“We can see that the central government is being run from the BJP party office. The BJP MP from Darjeeling, who is also a Union minister, is behind the whole conspiracy. We have evidence to support our claim. We are fully aware as to who are trying to destabilise and divide Bengal. Just for the sake of one Lok Sabha seat, they are ignoring the strategic importance of Darjeeling, its close proximity with Nepal, Bhutan and also Bangladesh,” she alleged.

Reiterating that Darjeeling is an integral part of West Bengal, Banerjee said, “States like J&K, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar and the Northeast have sizeable presence of CPFs ranging from 402 to 48 companies. Even Delhi has 40 companies, but the Centre has suddenly pulled out CPFs from Darjeeling without even bothering to inform the state government. I have written strong letters of protest to both the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. The Centre should have looked at the issue of Darjeeling administratively and not politically. They can talk to people booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, but not with elected representatives.”

The meeting was attended by all three hill MLAs, chairman of the GTA Board of Administrators Binay Tamang, representatives of Gorkha League and GNLF. The Jan Andolan Party, which had attended two earlier rounds of talks, stayed away from today’s meeting citing differences of opinion with the state government’s stand on Gorkhaland.

The chief minister said the next round of talks will be held on November 21 at Pintail Village in Darjeeling district, close to Siliguri.

“We have all agreed to do everything to restore peace in the hills. Today’s meeting was positive and we have agreed to the hill parties’ demands to reconsider the break of service for the GTA and state government employees during the shutdown. We are also examining the issue of compensation of those who have died and were injured during the shutdown. We hope that the next round of talks will be more fruitful,” Banerjee said.