This was on the same day that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while leaving for the NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi, rebuked the BJP for allegedly trying to “divide” Bengal.
Supporting the proposal of Sukanta Majumbar, who is also the BJP’s state president, Bista said it was logical. “The government (West Bengal government) run from Kolkata treats North Bengal people like second class citizens,” he said.
Stating that the culturally rich north Bengal has vast resources, Bista said that the area gets “only 0.002% of West Bengal’s annual budget and our tea gardens are closing, and Cinchona plantations have already closed”. “The centre announces AIIMS for North Bengal and the Bengal government takes it near Kolkata,” the Darjeeling MP said.
On July 24, Majumdar had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to incorporate north Bengal into the Northeast. He said that way, more central funds and development would come to the people of the region.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Murshidabad MLA Gouri Shankar Ghosh supported Nishikant Dubey’s demand for a Union Territory, including parts of Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Ghosh also stated that a similar appeal was made by him in a letter to the Union Home Ministry in 2022.
On July 25, Dubey highlighted infiltration from Bangladesh and demanded in Parliament a separate Union Territory. Ghosh has supported Dubey saying, “Infiltration is high in Murshidabad, which is a threat to national security,” adding that the district should be part of a Union Territory.
“On August 18 2022, I had written a letter to the Union Home Ministry and the Governor to make Murshidabad district a Union Territory,” said Ghosh speaking to media persons.
The letter said, “Bangladeshi intruders are mostly involved in criminal activities, like cattle smuggling and phensedyl (cough syrup) smuggling.”
The letter also said local police were not taking any steps and that the “Bangladeshi intruders” were increasing in number.
The letter appealed to take Murshidabad under the Central government to form a Union Territory in order to avoid these activities.