BJP leaders meet Bengal Governor, seek permanent solution for Darjeeling

Accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led government of unleashing a "reign of terror" in the Darjeeling hills following the declaration of the Lok Sabha election results, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday met West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi seeking a permanent political solution for the region.

"Ever since the BJP won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat by a margin of over four lakh votes, a 'reign of terror' has been unleashed there by the state police. The 17 municipal councillors of Darjeeling, who resigned from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and joined the BJP, are being harassed, assaulted and imprisoned in false cases by the local police," BJP leader Mukul Roy said after the meeting with the Governor.

"The Governor should immediately intervene in this matter. The BJP is looking for a permanent political solution in Darjeeling," he said with BJP MP from Darjeeling Raju Bista by his side.

Roy demanded that the Governor should immediately intervene in order to stop custodial torture of the locals. He also warned the district Superintendent of Police of dire consequences if the police atrocities didn't stop.

"The torture on people inside the prisons in Darjeeling should stop. We demand a full scale probe into the issue," Roy said.

The Trinamool Congress-turned-BJP leader termed the law and order situation in the state as "terrible" and said that they have urged the Governor to immediately talk to Banerjee to solve the ensuing problems.

"We have urged the Governor to immediately talk to the Chief Minister in order to solve the terrible law and order situation in the state. But we believe that she (Banerjee) will not come to meet the Governor because of her arrogance," Roy added. IANS