KOLKATA: West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that forces plotting to bifurcate the state will be defeated.
Addressing a programme of the Gorkha community in Kolkata, he said that the entire north Bengal region including the Darjeeling Hills is and will remain an integral part of the state.
"Some forces are at work to separate north Bengal from our state. They will be defeated. Bifurcation of West Bengal will never be allowed," he said.
The speaker also dwelt on how Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was working towards inclusive development of all regions of the state.
A section of BJP leaders including Alipurduar MP and central minister John Barla had recently advocated carving out a Union territory comprising north Bengal districts, alleging lack of development in the region for years.
BJP state chief Dilip Ghosh and other leaders dissociated themselves from Barla's statements and said that the party does not support any demand for bifurcation or division of West Bengal.