By IANS,
New Delhi : The demand for a separate Gorkhaland state to be carved out of West Bengal brought senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran L.K. Advani and expelled party leader Jaswant Singh together in parliament Monday.
Leader of Opposition Advani responded positively to Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh’s request in Lok Sabha Monday to support his demand that the government take steps to end the hunger strike by activists seeking the creation of Gorkhaland.
Recalling his three-decade long association with Advani and addressing the BJP MPs as his “former colleagues” during zero hour, Jaswant Singh said: “I appeal to my former colleagues to join me in my appeal to the government.”
“In our manifesto, we have mentioned it (a separate Gorkhaland state). In the evening a delegation will meet me,” Advani said in the house, addressing Jaswant as “my colleague”.
Raising the matter during zero hour, Jaswant Singh asked the government to appeal to the agitating Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) activists to end their hunger-strike and shutdown in the region till the talks between the GJM leaders and the central government are held.
The GJM has been spearheading a movement for a separate Gorkhaland state to be carved out from parts of northern West Bengal.
Jaswant Singh said the people of Gorkhaland are nationalists who sacrificed their lives for the country and now “they are emotionally separated”.
Dajeeling is one district that shares three international borders, he said.
“Listen to the voice of humans. Don’t separate them and don’t isolate them,” the MP said.
The Left party MPs, however, protested Jaswant Singh’s move.