Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she will never allow a separate state to be carved out of West Bengal while lashing out at the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“The BJP goes around saying it will divide Bengal. I am ready to give my blood but I would not allow this,” she said at a political rally at Alipurduar in north Bengal amid demands from some BJP leaders for a separate state encompassing north Bengal districts. BJP’s state leadership has distanced itself from the demand.
The security of Banerjee, who is camping in north Bengal and holding political and administrative meetings in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts, was tightened after a video purportedly showing Jiban Singha, the absconding chief of the banned Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), making a fresh demand for a separate state and threatening her surfaced on Sunday.
“Some leaders are threatening me that if I do not allow the separate state to be formed out of north Bengal, then they will me. I tell them if you have the guts point your gun at me. I have seen much of this. So, do not threat me. I know how to make your guns blunt. All this is happening because of BJP’s support. Whenever an election approaches, BJP raises the demand of a separate state,” said Banerjee. “I felt sad when the BJP won all the seats in north Bengal by making some false promises. But never in my life would I misunderstand you. It is because that is your right. What has the BJP done till date except for rising prices…,” she said.