TMC slams state Cong leadership

SNS, Siliguri,19 August 2013: The Trinamul Congress slammed the state Congress leadership for allegedly conniving with the party unit in the Darjeeling Hills that has thrown its weight behind the GJMM-sponsored statehood movement. “The state Congress leadership fawning on its Hill unit on this sensitive mater has laid bare the hidden agenda of the Congress-division of the state to carve out Gorkhaland,” said the Darjeeling district TMC president and north Bengal development minister, Mr Gautam Deb.  

Notably, the Hill unit of the Congress has participated in all the three all-party meets held in Darjeeling at the behest of the GJMM to chalk out tactics in sync with the developing political trajectory in the Hills. 

“Three representatives from the Hill Congress attended the all party meets. Earlier, the Hill Congress demanded Union Territory status for the Darjeeling Hills. This vindicates our stance that the Congress has been instigating divisive forces to embarrass the state government. This bodes ill for the territorial integrity of the state. We strongly condemn this," Mr Deb added. 

The Darajeeling Congress (Hills) president and former MP from Darjeeling, Mr K B Chettri admitted that the representatives of the Hill Congress had attended all the all-party meets held recently in Darjeeling. 

“The Congress leader, Altaf Hussain and another party leader attended the all-party meeting held yesterday, “he added. 

Asked whether the Hill Congress is defying the state Congress in doing so, Mr Chhetri said despite the non-approval from the state party leadership, the Hill Congress representatives would continue attending the all-party meets convened on the Gorkhaland issue. 

The state Congress president, Mr Pradip Bhattacharya declined to comment on the Hill unit having thrown a dare. “I do not know whether the persons who have attended the all-party meets in Darjeeling are associated with the Congress,” he added.