TMC files FIR against BJP MP John Barla over 'North Bengal' remark

Kolkata: A written complaint by Trinamool Congress at Dinhata police station in Cooch Behar against BJP MP John Barla has been lodged over his proposal to declare North Bengal as a separate Union Territory.

TMC leader Zakaria Hossain who is also a lawyer has filed the FIR against him for his remarks about North Bengal.

Earlier, difference in opinion among two senior BJP leaders came to the forefront over Barla's remark.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said on Sunday that the party does not endorse the remark of

Barla. "BJP does not want any division in Bengal. The comment made by him (John Barla) is his personal opinion and has nothing to do with the BJP party," said Ghosh.

However, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has stood behind the remark of the saffron party's Alipurduar MP. "I fully agree with the deprivation of North Bengal that has been highlighted by John Barla,"Adhikari said.

"Four persons from Kolkata are controlling the entire state of Bengal. So people of North Bengal are being pained and we the people of Paschimanchal are also facing a similar situation," added Adhikari.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on June 18 had said that she will not allow fragmentation of Bengal any further. Rubbishing Barla's claim, Sourav Chakraborty, TMC district president of Alipurduar said that people of North Bengal are living peacefully. "Mamata Banerjee has developed North Bengal and people here are happy. Barla's claim is baseless and no one can break West Bengal," added Chakraborty.

Earlier, alleging that BJP was fanning secessionist forces—who are demanding creation of a separate Union Territory comprising 8 North Bengal districts—Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Partha Pratim Roy had said his party would launch a mass movement to thwart any attempt to divide North Bengal.