BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya blames Mamata Banerjee's mentality for Darjeeling situation

Bhopal: Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya has said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "narrow mentality" was responsible for the current situation in Darjeeling where the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is agitating for a separate Gorkhaland.

He also defended BJP leader Roopa Ganguly over her controversial statement on women safety, saying she was referring to the "poor" law and order situation in West Bengal.

Though the BJP is in favour of creation of smaller states it is for West Bengal to take a call on that, Vijayvargiya, who is in-charge of the party affairs in the state, told PTI.

"The BJP is normally in favour of creation of smaller states, but the state government should sit and talk to the people and take a decision on it," he said.

"It is the right of the state. After it decides and passes a resolution in the state assembly, then the Centre can consider it," Vijayvargiya said.

"How it will be like. Its geographical situation. It has to be decided by the state. If a smaller state can be created, then it is good, otherwise a solution to the problem should be found by sitting with them (agitators)," the BJP leader said.

He suggested the West Bengal chief minister should discuss the issue threadbare with all concerned to find a solution to the problem.

Earlier, a (regional) council was created but it was not given adequate rights, he said.

"Nothing should be imposed on them (agitators)," he said.

Asked who in his view was responsible for the strife in Darjeeling, he said, "Whatever happening there is intentional and because of the narrow mentality of Mamataji."

"She wants to suppress Gorkhas by invoking Bengali sentiments and trying to curb the voice of those raising the issue of the Gorkhaland democratically," Vijayvargiya said.

He also partly blamed West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee for the current situation alleging he had stated that Bengali will be made compulsory in schools in the entire state which resulted in the agitation.

"The government is working with a narrow mentality on the issue and therefore it is unable to handle it properly," he remarked.

"There is a poor administrator in West Bengal, and to hide her failures, she blames the BJP for it. In fact, the West Bengal government is a total failure," Vijayvargiya alleged.

The BJP leader identified "poor" law and order and the state government's "failure" to check infiltration as the two major challanges facing the West Bengal government.

"The appeasement of infiltrators who are being given citizenship to enhance her vote bank is a threat to nation's internal security," Vijayvargiya said.

On the controversial statement made by BJP Rajya Sabha member Roopa Ganguly about the safety of women, he said she was referring to the poor law and order situation (in West Bengal) and whoever will spend 15 days in the state will come to know about it.

"Women are not safe and this is totally right. Women are being treated as a second grade citizen," he said.