TMC seeks Ahluwalia’s resignation over Darjeeling comments

Kolkata, June 21 (IANS) Terming Darjeeling MP S.S. Ahluwalia's comments on the pro-Gorkhaland agitation in the hills as "unconstitutional and stroking fire into the issue" West Bengal ruling party Trinamool Congress on Wednesday demanded his immediate resignation from the Lok Sabha.

Accusing Alhuwalia of hurting the integrity and sovereignty of the country with his statements, the Trinamool leadership also asked the BJP to immediately suspend him from the party.

"The way he is making unconstitutional statements and trying to stroke fire in the hills is deplorable. We demand that he should immediately resign from his position in the Lok Sabha and also urge the BJP to immediately suspend him," TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said.

"In spite of being democratically elected from West Bengal, he is making provocative statements and trying to break the integrity and sovereignty of India," he said.

Terming the GJM and other hill-based political parties' decision to resign from the GTA, the development body in the North Bengal hills, as a "stunt", Chatterjee said people can make out the reason behind such theatrical decisions.

"The term of the current GTA will end in the next few days. Resigning from there is nothing but a stunt. People can understand the reason behind such theatrical decisions," he said.

Ahluwalia on Tuesday said that the BJP would "sympathetically consider" the demand for Gorkhaland but claimed that such an old issue cannot be resolved quickly.

He also advocated a probe to verify Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claims of arms being brought to Darjeeling from the northeastern states and foreign countries.