Mamata Banerjee meets Darjeeling parties; requests to call off strike, says talks positive

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday held talks with political parties of Darjeeling hills and requested them to withdraw the indefinite bandh, which entered the 76th day.

"Talks were cordial and positive. Dialogue has started and it will continue. The next meeting will be held at Uttarkanya secretariat in north Bengal on September 12," she said after the meeting at the state secretariat here.

"They (the hill parties) raised the Gorkhaland issue but we did not agree. They can raise their voice. It is a democratic set-up," Banerjee added.

She said major political parties in the hills including Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Gorkha National Liberation Front and Jan Andolan Party participated in the dialogue.

All the parties agreed that peace and normalcy should be restored in the hills and "we requested them to withdraw the bandh", she said.