Won't Allow Bandh, No Question of Division of Bengal: Mamata Banerjee on Shutdown Call

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Siliguri: After calls for bandh by parties in Darjeeling, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the state government will not allow any strike while reiterating that she would not let anyone divide the state. West Bengal CM`s statement came against the backdrop of parties in the Hills such as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and Hamro Party called for a 12-hour shutdown in Darjeeling on February 23.

Speaking at a program in Siliguri on Tuesday, Banerjee said, "We will never allow any strike. Our government will not tolerate it. We will not allow any separation. No question of `bongo bongo (separation of Bengal)."The CM said she would not let any conspiracies flourish to divide Bengal. She said some parties call for branches every five years to make them relevant in politics. She further said West Bengal has done away with bandh culture and striving for development.

She said that the state administration would take strict action against those who would try to impose a bandh. However, the Trinamool supremo said that people do have the right to protest over issues peacefully. Earlier on Monday, the West Bengal Assembly passed a resolution against any attempt to divide the State.

North Bengal especially Darjeeling Hills had witnessed a lot of socio-political turbulence like the Gorkhaland movement. A separate state of `Gorkhaland` has been a long-standing demand of Nepali-speaking Gorkhas since 1907 on the grounds that they are culturally and ethnically different from West Bengal.