Deb rules out possibility of talks with KPP

SNS, Siliguri, 2 January 2014: The north Bengal development minister, Mr Gautam Deb, has today categorically rued out any possibility of resuming talks with the Kamtapur People’s Party (KPP) for the time being. He also said that the administration would thwart any bandh.

Reacting to it, the KPP president, Mr Atul Roy said arrogance would make the ruling dispensation bite the dust in the same manner its predecessor ~ the Left Front government did.

“There is no possibility of holding talks with the KPP,” Mr Deb said in Siliguri before leading a peace rally staged by the ruling party’s Darjeeling district unit to protest against the KLO-instigated cult of violence. Mr Roy had said a few days back that the state government must open dialogue with them on cultural/ lingual issues involving the long-aggrieved Rajbanshi community. The KPP had also threatened to convene a north Bengal bandh on 20 January if the administration does not allow them to hold demonstrations on 10 January, protesting against some ‘innocent’ SC/ST persons being rounded up following the blast in Jalpaiguri and Malda bus firing.

“People would isolate the divisive forces intent on destabilising the region. We would fight them politically while the administration would deal with them with an iron hand on its own plane. The chief minister is coming to north Bengal on 20 January ~ the day the KPP has threatened bandh. We will not brook such nuisance. They should desist from playing with fire," he said. He denied that innocents are being arrested in the wake of the blasts.

“Ours is a government that is known for its human face. No innocent people are being arrested. This is concocted story being spread with a malicious design to fan unrest,” Mr Deb added.

Apparently unfazed by the minister’s warning, Mr Roy said they would not budge from their programmes of agitation.

“We would hold peaceful demonstration on 10 January as per the pre-charted programme. We would also get on with the programme of bandh if the administration disallows our demonstration. The people are with us. However, the bandh we are contemplating has nothing to do with the chief minister’s trip. We were unaware of the date when we lined up our stir,” he said.

He further said the fate that befell the arrogant Left Front dispensation seems to be awaiting the present government. “The people would oust them in the same manner they showed its predecessor the door,” Mr Roy added.