A day after Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling expressed full support to the cause of a separate state of Gorkhaland, the Mamata Banerjee government shot off a letter to Union home minister Rajnath Singh condemning Chamling’s move.
In the absence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a tour to the Netherlands, education minister and Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee wrote the letter to the Centre pointing out that the Sikkim chief minister has no business interfering in the matters of West Bengal.
“In the letter Partha Chaterjee pointed out that the action of Sikkim chief minister is against the federal structure of the country, where a particular state government cannot interfere in the internal matters of another state,” said a state cabinet member aware of the contents of the letter.
“Chief minister, Mamata Banerjee would have written the letter herself had she not been out of the country. So, she instructed state education minister to write the letter to the Union home minister on her behalf,” said the minister.
On June 20, Chamling wrote a letter to Rajnath Singh supporting the demand for Gorkhaland state. He posted the piece of communication on his Facebook page on June 22.
{{/usCountry}}On June 20, Chamling wrote a letter to Rajnath Singh supporting the demand for Gorkhaland state. He posted the piece of communication on his Facebook page on June 22.
{{/usCountry}}Chatterjee also mentioned in the letter that nothing but “political hooliganism” is currently taking place in the hills. The state is trying to combat it and restore normalcy. “The letter pointed out in such a situation Chamling’s support for the separate Gorkhaland state will just encourage the hooliganism,” the minister added.
Partha Chatterjee has reiterated the state government’s demand for additional central forces for the hills. Currently six companies of central forces and two columns of the armed forces are deployed in the hills.
The Union home ministry has already declined to send additional forces in the hills, pointing out that according to intelligence inputs deployment of additional forces will aggravate tension in Darjeeling.