Kolkata: A BJP MLA's demand for a separate North Bengal state in the assembly on Thursday sparked a war of words between TMC and the saffron party.
Dabgram-Fulbari MLA Shikha Chatterjee said in the assembly, "People are saying that if you can't bring development, then leave North Bengal. Make it a separate state. The people of North Bengal have been deprived for years." In reply, state parliamentary affairs minister, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, said, "Which local people is she referring to? BJP has been losing all elections there after the 2021 assembly polls. The people's mandate is with chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress. Is she saying that her party workers demand a separate state? People in Bengal, Trinamool Congress, and CM Banerjee have pledged to prevent any such move with the last drop of our blood."
Chatterjee, however, stuck to her demand, saying: "There's no development. People don't have access to drinking water. This is why the demand for a separate North Bengal state is growing stronger." Outside the assembly, she told reporters, "This is not just my opinion. It reflects the sentiments of the people of North Bengal. They want North Bengal to be separate as they have been neglected."
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "BJP is losing its appeal among people because they always work against their interests. They block central funds, deny people their rightful dues, and now, talk about dividing the state. It appears that they have made people in Bengal their enemy. Why don't they talk of development instead?"
Stay updated with breaking news, bank holidays and upcoming public holidays in march.