Didi protests bid to divide Bengal, fuel price hike, attacks on TMC in Tripura

Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday vehemently opposed plan by the BJP at the Centre to curve out North Bengal including Darjeeling hills, Dooars and Terai region of the state apparently for a separate statehood of Gorkhaland.

Kickstarting her tour in the region, the Trinamul Congress supremo told a Bijoya Sammilani gathering at Siliguri in the evening, "I want to see our North Bengal intact. There should be no divide and rule. There should be no different tune in the lyrics. All of us are united."

Without taking the name of the BJP, she added, "Peace, prosperity, power, stability, devotion and freedom prevail in the family if all stay united. When all are divided, no one cares, inquires and stands by another in danger. We do not want such a society. We want a society of humanity, civilization and culture."

Ms Banerjee flagged her objection after union home minister Amit Shah chaired a tripartite meeting to open a dialogue to solve issues of the Gorkhas in presence of Darjeeling BJP MP and MLA, Raju Bista and Neeraj Tamang Zimba respectively, union minister and BJP Alipurduar MP John Barla among others on October 12 in New Delhi.

Mr Barla and many other party leaders recently called for separation of North Bengal from the state. Ms Banerjee also slammed the BJP over continuous fuel price hike, propaganda of Covid-19 vaccination of 100 crore population and attacks on her party leaders including Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev in BJP-ruled Tripura.

"While a festival has been underway, petrol, diesel and LPG prices are rising. The days of using coal and cow dung cakes are returning. No one is bothered by the unabated fuel price hike. All are remaining mum. Who will raise voice and protest? We will do it like we celebrate festivals," she said.

The CM, who is also the state health minister claimed, "So far we gave vaccines of around seven crores against a requirement of 14 crores. Still we stood first among the states. However we have been ranked three. Maharashtra got more vaccines than us. People need to know the truth. Our country has a population of 130 crores out of which only 29.51 crores have been vaccinated with double doses. But a campaign of vaccination of 100 crore people is being done."

She also alleged, "Bengal is not Tripura, yet to become Tripura and would not be so as long as we are in power. Daughter of Santosh Mohan Dev was attacked there. Another young leader of our party was thrashed so badly that he had to be brought to Kolkata. It is the BJP which is now crying for human rights after beating people."