KLO chief says Bengal BJP MPs help separate Koch-Kamtapur state

A video by separatist group Kamtapur Liberation Organisation’s (KLO) chief Jibon Singha dubbing West Bengal authorities as a “bahirgata (outsider)” has created ripples in political circles of the State. What has additional created a flutter is that the separatist chief within the video message named three MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) particularly Cooch Behar MP Nisith Pramanik, Jalpaiguri MP Jayanta Roy and Alipurduar MP John Barla as supporters of the separate Koch-Kamtapur state.

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Set up in 1995, KLO has been demanding a separate Kamtapur state carved out from sure districts of north Bengal and decrease Assam, areas that have been earlier below the Cooch Behar kingdom. Though the group stays inactive on floor, the video has come forward of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s go to to north Bengal. While it couldn’t be ascertained when the video was shot or uploaded on the web, Jibon Singha alongside along with his supporters is seen holding weapons, wearing navy fatigues in a location that seems to be inside a forest. 

“Kochbihar (Cooch Behar) is a separate category state under the India Accession Treaty. John Barla, Nishith Pramanik, Jayant Roy, MPs and MLAs who have won from the region, support a separate Koch-Kamtapur state. The people of Koch-Kamtapur will form the greater Kochbihar or Kamtapur State,” Mr. Singha may be heard saying within the video.  The separatist chief dared Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to set her foot within the area and warned of blood tub if she did so. In the video, the chief mentioned that the individuals of the area didn’t consider within the growth ushered in by Mamata Banerjee.

The KLO chief has earlier additionally launched such movies demanding a separate State. In 2021, expenses in opposition to Jibon singha have been introduced below UAPA Act.

The growth evoked robust reactions from the Trinamool Congress management. Cooch Behar Trinamool Congress chief Partha Pratim Roy mentioned that “it is a result of the dirty politics of the BJP”. Another TMC chief Jay Prakash Majumdar known as it a ‘‘well-planned conspiracy of the BJP”.

BJP speaks in different voices

The State leadership of the BJP, however, said that it had nothing to do with Jibon Singha’s remarks. “The BJP does not support any such movement…The BJP wants to keep geographical sovereignty of the State intact. It is a law-and-order situation and the State government has to handle it,” State BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattachrya mentioned. 

State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar additionally spoke in the identical vein. He mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had good ties to KLO as she was giving jobs to the operatives of the separatist outfit. The West Bengal authorities prior to now had additionally tried to convey KLO operatives to the mainstream.

Jalpiguri BJP MP Jayanta Roy, nonetheless, didn’t object to the separatist chief’s comment. “There is nothing wrong in demanding a separate State for North Bengal. It does not matter what name it is. If there is a separate State, it will be for all people of north Bengal, everyone in north Bengal is deprived,” the MP mentioned.

Earlier Alipurduar MP John Barla had raised the demand for a separate State to be carved out of territories in north Bengal.  

Various BJP MP and MLAs have typically demanded a separate State to be carved out both from north Bengal or State’s Jangalmahal area within the State, areas the place the get together has important affect in comparison with south Bengal. A bit of get together insiders consider that BJP will proceed to try the powerful balancing act of giving vent to hyper-local aspirations in north Bengal and Jangalmahal area to retain the seats the get together received in 2019 within the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. BJP had received 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.