New Delhi: Trinamool members today created uproar in Parliament against Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's meeting with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders without informing West Bengal government, forcing brief adjournments of both Houses.
As soon as Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha met for the day, Trinamool members raised the issue vociferously displaying placards that read “Don't Divide West Bengal” and “Centre don't do politics in Darjeeling”.
In Lok Sabha, Trinamool member Sudip Bandopadhyaya raised the issue and alleged that a “deliberate, motivated” attempt was on to divide West Bengal.
“We apprehend that the Central government is also trying (along with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) to play a role,” he said.
He said it is unfortunate that Shinde was holding talks with GJM leaders when West Bengal Chief Minister was meeting people in Kalimpong along with senior officials.
Bandopadhyaya sought to know how the Home Minister was holding the meeting when the Prime Minister had said no step will be taken without consulting West Bengal government.
Charging the Centre with continuously interfering in the affairs of the state, Bandopadhyaya said this is hurting the federal structure.
Rubbishing demands of GJM for a separate state, he said wondered as to how such a small area with just three Assembly seats can become a state carved out of West Bengal which has 294 Assembly seats.
“Jaswant Singh's Lok Sabha constituency - Darjeeling – has three Assembly seats from the hills and four from the plains,” he said.
Earlier, when the House met for the day TC members trooped into the Well holding placards and shouting slogans against Shinde. The placards said “Centre don't do politics in Darjeeling”.
This led to brief adjournment of the House. Trinamool members created similar scenes in Rajya Sabha,
forcing brief adjournment of the House during Zero Hour.
Accusing the Centre of indulging in “divide and rule” policy, Derek O'Brien (TC) said Shinde had breached Manmohan Singh's promise to the state that any meeting with GJM leaders, who are demanding Gorkhaland, would take place in consultation with the state government.
In a letter to the West Bengal Chief Minister on August 1, Singh wrote, “I have instructed Central Government personnel that any meeting with GJM leadership should be done in consultation with the state government and that they should keep you informed of developments.”
O'Brien claimed that the Home Minister met GJM leadership in New Delhi on September 3 without informing the state, which shows “noboby is listening to the Prime Minister.”
He said the Centre was trying to make a mockery of the federal structure of the country.
Meanwhile, some other TC members trooped into the Well holding placards that read “Don't Divide Darjeeling”.
Chairman Hamid Ansari asked them to go back to their seats but as they kept on demanding Home Minister's statement on the issue, he adjourned the House for 10 minutes.
When the House reassembled, similar scenes were witnessed.
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 also.
Trinamool members then demanded a statement from Minister of State for Home to which Shukla agreed.
