Kolkata/IBNS: In an unprecedented scenario, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari were on the same page in the assembly on the resolution against the division of the state on Monday.
The government brought a resolution against the division of West Bengal in the backdrop of several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders demand for a separate state of north Bengal.
The Chief Minister reportedly appealed to all opposition parties, BJP primarily in the assembly, to join the effort to work towards keeping West Bengal united.
Speaking to the reporters outside the assembly, Adhikari, the Nandigram MLA, said the government for the first time listened to the Opposition leading to a fruitful discussion.
BJP, which has been tried to be labelled as an anti-Bengali party, belongs to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, who was against the partition of Bengal. So BJP as a party is against the division of Bengal. Its our clear party stand, said the Leader of Opposition.
As per reports, Bengal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay also spoke to the Leader of Opposition in the assembly on the burning issue of the state.
The controversy started after Union Minister and BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar proposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include North Bengal in the NorthEast region, in a bid to facilitate the state with more funds and development.
This prompted the ruling Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, to accuse the BJP of conspiring to divide Bengal.
The debate was fuelled by Union Minister Nishikant Dubey demanding a Union Territory comprising West Bengals Murshidabad and Malda districts along with three districts of Jharkhand.
Dubeys statement was backed by BJP state MLAs Gouri Shankar Ghosh, Nagen Roy leaving the saffron camp come under fire from the TMC.
