Kamal Ghorui
KOLKATA: Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the Gorkha issue will be solved in a constitutional manner without dividing Bengal, if voted to office.Signalling a shift from the earlier position of Bengal BJP netas, who had been supporting Gorkhaland, Shah said at a rally in South Dinajpur’s Gangarampur: “I want to tell my Gorkha brothers of Darjeeling that, once in office, BJP will not only develop an eco-adventure hub in the Hills, but also resolve the Gorkha issue in a constitutional manner without dividing the state.” Earlier in the day, during a media interaction, he made it clear that creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland was not on BJP’s agenda. He also attacked what he called the ‘tukde tukde gang’, accusing them of trying to break Bengal through the Siliguri Corridor.
BJP’s manifesto for the 2026 Bengal assembly polls promises recognition of the Gorkha identity and inclusion of Rajbanshi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has extended unconditional backing to BJP candidates in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, in pursuit of a “permanent political solution” for the Hills.Shah, who addressed three rallies in Bengal on Tuesday, also outlined a development pitch for north Bengal. He said BJP planned to set up four industrial parks, a semiconductor factory and four industrial townships in the region. He added that a BJP govt would begin work on an AIIMS in north Bengal within two months and establish a 600-bed cancer hospital. He also promised land ownership rights for tea garden workers.Attacking TMC over alleged corruption, Shah said: “When Centre sent Rs 100 crore for flood relief, Trinamool’s men pocketed the entire money. We will make them accountable for every penny they have taken.”He also accused CM Mamata Banerjee of using the expulsion of Humayun Kabir as a political ploy. “She (Mamata Banerjee) expelled Kabir to deceive people. They are building the Babri Masjid through Kabir. No Babri Masjid can be made in Bengal,” Shah said.Shah reiterated support for women’s reservation, posting on X that the proposed bill was “the need of the hour”.
