Uproar in Parliament over Darjeeling issue

DARJEELING/NEW DELHI

6 Sep 2013

Trinamool Congress members today created an uproar in Parliament to protest Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's meeting with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders without informing the West Bengal government, forcing brief adjournments of both Houses.

As soon as the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha convened for the day, TMC MPs raised the issue vociferously displaying placards that read "Don't Divide West Bengal" and "Centre don't do politics in Darjeeling".

TMC legislator Sudip Bandopadhyaya raised the issue in the Lok Sabha alleging a "deliberate, motivated" attempt was on to divide West Bengal”.

He said, “We apprehend the Central government is also trying to play a role,” adding it is unfortunate that Shinde was holding talks with GJM leaders when the West Bengal chief minister was meeting people in Kalimpong along with senior officials.

Bandopadhyaya sought to know how the home minister held the meeting when the prime minister has said no step will be taken without consulting the West Bengal government.

Charging the Centre for interfering continuously in the affairs of the state, the MP said this is hurting the federal structure.

Rubbishing the GJM’s demands for a separate state, he wondered as to how such a small area with just three Assembly seats could be carved out of West Bengal that has 294 Assembly seats.

"Jaswant Singh's Lok Sabha constituency (Darjeeling) has three Assembly seats from the hills and four from the plains," said Bandopadhyaya.

When the House met for the day, TMC members trooped into the Well holding placards and shouting slogans against Shinde. This led to a brief adjournment of the House.

TMC members created similar scenes in the Rajya Sabha and forced a brief adjournment of the House during Zero Hour.

Accusing the Centre of indulging in a "divide and rule" policy, TMC MP Derek O'Brien said Shinde had breached PM Manmohan Singh's promise to the state that any meeting with GJM leaders would take place in consultation with the state government.

He said the PM had written a letter to the West Bengal chief minister on August 1 saying, "I have instructed Central Government personnel that any meeting with the GJM leadership should be done in consultation with the state government and that they should keep you informed of developments".

O'Brien claimed the home minister met GJM leaders in New Delhi on September 3 without informing the state, which shows "nobody is listening to the prime minister”.

He accused the Centre of trying to make a mockery of the federal structure of the country.

Meanwhile, some more TMC members trooped into the Well holding placards that read "Don't Divide Darjeeling".

Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari asked them to go back to their seats but as they kept on demanding the home minister's statement on the issue, he adjourned the House for 10 minutes. When the House reassembled, similar scenes were witnessed again.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla intervened saying the home minister was not available for the day and he was not keeping well either.

At this, the TMC members demanded a statement from the Minister of State for Home to which Shukla agreed.