Leaders of the Gorkha Rastriya Congress (GRA) have claimed that
Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia has advised them to prepare a ‘detailed
project’ on their demand for Darjeeling’s merger with Sikkim as “the
best” solution to the Hill problem.
According to GRC leaders, the MP, who is also a top BJP leader and
the union minister of state for drinking water and sanitation, has
assured them that he would “forward and advocate” their issue with other
central ministers as well as the Parliament. Notably, a team of GRA
leaders led by party president Bharat Dong met Mr Ahluwalia at his
Siliguri residence on 17 February, where they put forth the demand for
Darjeeling-Sikkim merger.
GRC leaders told here on Monday that Mr Ahluwalia gave them a patient
hearing. “He advised us to prepare a detailed and visionary project by
including all the different aspects of the Sikkim-Darjeeling merger
demand, so that he can advocate the issue with other central ministers
as well as in the Parliament,” Mr Dong said.
He further said that his team told Mr Ahluwalia that he was the
Darjeeling MP and that he has every right to visit his constituency. Mr
Dong referred to statements issued by GJMM leader and GTA board chairman
Binoy Tamang, saying that the MP is not welcome in Darjeeling.
“Instead of criticizing Ahluwalia’s absence and absence of other BJP
leaders in the Hills during the last Gorkhaland agitation, the regional
party and the people of the Hills should find out the root and actual
cause of their absence,” Mr Dong asserted.
He added that the regional parties and people of Darjeeling should
understand that the issue of Gorkhaland has already been made clear
during the 1986 agitation. “In 1986, it has already been cleared that
Gorkhaland is not possible, but despite this, the Hill leaders and
people are still pursuing the issue,” he said.
Mr Dong also claimed that if, by any chance, Gorkhaland is formed,
the issue of Darjeeling hills will still remain unsolved and the
Siikim-Darjeeling merger issue would still surface any time, “as it is
the lost territory of Sikkim.” He added that before meeting the
Darjeeling MP, they recently visited Delhi where they met the senior BJP
leadership over the merger demand.(SNS)
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