KOLKATA: BJP’s national vice president Dilip Ghosh refused to endorse the demand within the party for separate statehood comprising districts in north Bengal and south Bengal’s backward region, where the BJP made deep inroads in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “Our party does not endorse such demand. A few elected representatives are raising demand for separate statehood but our high-command made it clear that the party does not support it,’’ he said.
Ghosh’s statement came after BJP MLA in Bankura’s Onda Amarnath Sakha demanded a separate state comprising five districts in south Bengal. “The people in Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, West Midnapore and Birbhum are victims of negligence. I request the people of these districts to raise the demand for separate statehood and strengthen our voices.
If our party performs well in the upcoming panchayat polls, demand for separate statehood will be placed in front of Union Home minister Amit Shah,’’ said Sakha while addressing party workers. Earlier, BJP’s Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khan raised a similar demand.
Echoing the same, many elected representatives of the BJP in north Bengal demanded separate statehood citing the negligence by the state government issue. The saffron camp’s state leadership as well as the high-command never endorsed the demand for separate state.
Remark on Prez: BJP stages walkout
BJP MLAs on Monday staged a walkout from West Bengal Assembly demanding immediate resignation of Minister of State for Correctional Homes Akhil Giri from the cabinet and disqualification from the House for his controversial comments on President Droupadi Murmu. They staged the walkout after Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay rejected their demand for an adjournment motion to discuss Giri’s recent controversial remarks on Murmu.