BJP MP repeats demand for separate North Bengal
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Days after BJP state leadership cautioned against such remarks, BJP MP John Barla from Alipurduar on Wednesday again raised the controversial demand for a separate union territory composed of North Bengal districts. He alleged that the people who voted for BJP were being denied rations and 100-days of work as guaranteed under the job guarantee scheme.
"In order to escape from such atrocities, I raised the demand for North Bengal to be declared union territory," he said. "I will take this matter up with Delhi (leadership)," he added while surrounded by people he is allegedly protecting from the attack of TMC supporters.
Barla further claimed that nine members of the Kumargram panchayat and a Zilla Parishad member from Alipurduar have taken shelter at his residence in Jalpaiguri following pressure to leave the BJP and join TMC.
However, the TMC district leadership denied the allegation saying it does not require people from BJP to join TMC after winning the recent assembly elections with a whopping majority. Furthermore, several local BJP leaders, including Alipurduar district president Ganga Prasad Sharma and seven others, joined the TMC on Monday.
When Barla first raised the demand for a separate UT, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh stressed that everyone has to go by the party line while also stating that there is space for personal opinions in the party. He further added that democracy cannot flourish by gagging people.
"It is not clear whether the BJP wants these leaders to stop making such statements or continue with their diatribe on dividing West Bengal," slammed TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh. He further accused the BJP of adopting a duplicitous policy and trying to create unrest in the state.
The BJP state unit had warned against such comments on Tuesday after BJP's Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khan followed Barla demanding a separate state for districts of Junglemahal and other areas of South Bengal.
"Some of our leaders may have made those comments in their own capacity. It has nothing to do with our party line or opinion, which is against any form of division of Bengal... everybody has to toe the party line as a loyal soldier of the party. Violation of party line won't be tolerated," the BJP state president has said.