The Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP), which has considerable clout among Rajbanshis of the region, has started exerting pressure on the Narendra Modi government and the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

On Monday, leaders and workers of KPP took a rally here and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister and the Union home minister to the divisional commissioner, seeking a north Bengal state and inclusion of the Rajbanshi language in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.

“BJP leaders time and again said they would consider our longstanding demands. However, 10 years have passed since Narendra Modi has become the Prime Minister and our demands are unmet. Let us make it clear that if the BJP doesn’t act on our demands, it will have specific ramifications in the elections,” said Chandan Roy, the spokesperson of KPP.

The leaders said that unlike the Centre, the Trinamul government in Bengal has met some other demands such as recognition of Rajbanshi and Kamtapuri languages and creation of the development board and language academies for Rajbanshis.

“The state has also recognised over 200 schools where students are taught in Rajbanshi and Kamtapuri. We spoke with a senior Trinamul leader, seeking recognition of some more schools of Kamtapuri language, and he assured us it would be taken up at necessary quarters,” Amit Roy, the KPP president, said.

“We have information that the KPP leadership met Trinamul leaders before planning today’s event. It seems Trinamul is trying to use the party to gain political dividends. Such strategies will not work,” said Bapi Goswami, the Jalpaiguri BJP president.

Trinamul leaders declined to comment on Goswami’s charge.

GCPA slams Ananta

Leaders of two factions of the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association fumed at Nagendra Roy aka Ananta Maharaj, the BJP MP in Rajya Sabha from Cooch Behar, on Monday.

Paresh Barman, a former close aide of Ananta, said: “He (Ananta) said we will get a Union territory from the BJP government but couldn’t get anything. There is no point in supporting him. He decided to join the BJP to reach Rajya Sabha without consulting other leaders of GCPA,” said Barman.

Narayan Chandra Barman, who heads another faction, said were backing Trinamul.

Ananta recently had rued being sidelined by the BJP.

Additional reporting by our
Cooch Behar correspondent