Around 1,000 Rajbanshi youths took a rally under the banner of All Kamtapur Students’ Union (AKSU) here on Friday and gave a memorandum to the divisional commissioner, demanding a separate state of Kamtapur.

The rally that started from near the palace of Baikunthapur Estate in Rajbaripara moved through Collectorate Avenue to reach the divisional commissioner’s office. Some more supporters were stopped by the police, leaders alleged.

“Our demand for separate statehood is a 70 years old. When the princely state of Cooch Behar was annexed by India, it was supposed to be a ‘D’ category state, but eventually was reduced to a district in Bengal. We want the Centre and the state to take initiatives so that appropriate status is conferred on Cooch Behar,” said Samaresh Roy, the convener of AKSU in Cooch Behar.