Deliver on Gorkhaland or quit, AIGL Bharati camp tells Bista

SNS, DARJEELING, 1 JULY 21 : The All-India Gorkha League (Bharati Tamang faction) today put up posters in Darjeeling, demanding that Darjeeling MP Raju Bista either work on the demand for Gorkhaland or step down as the MP

"Organisations like the National Gorkhaland Committee are issuing statements, saying we have to unite and form a committee for the demand of statehood, which shows they have lost faith in the BJP MP. On the other hand, MP alliance parties are saying that Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba should take up the issue of a Permanent Political Solution (PPS) in the Bidhan Sabha. It makes no sense as to how they are demanding an issue of the Centre to be taken up with the state," said AlGL general secretary SP Sharma. He added that other parties, on the other hand, were "busy distributing sanitizers and masks and had no time to work for the issue.

"If Bista cannot work for statehood, then he should resign from his post and a by-election be held, and another MP could take his place. The MP does not have the political will as to how much time it will take to grant the demand. The Darjeeling MP also seems to be taking up the demand in the zero hour of parliament," he said, adding that half the tenure of Mr Bista was already over, and he had "done nothing."

Mr Sharma also maintained that the BJP was only creating confusion with one of their leaders John Barla speaking on the lines of creating a separate state of north Bengal, while another leader, Dilip Ghosh, saying that Bengal would not be divided.

"We should analyse the work Bista has done so far and mount pressure on him over the demand for Gorkhaland. We appeal to all people to demand his resignation if he cannot work for this issue by putting up posters on their own, along with spreading this message across in social media. They do not have to be in any other party," he said.