Mamata Banerjee Challenges Centre's Gorkhaland Interlocutor Appointment

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the revocation of a retired IPS officer's appointment as interlocutor for Gorkhaland discussions. Banerjee claims the appointment breaches the GTA Act, violates state jurisdiction, and undermines federal governance, calling for immediate intervention.

In a strongly-worded letter, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has once again urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to retract the appointment of a retired IPS officer as an interlocutor for discussions concerning the Gorkhas of the Darjeeling hills. The move, she argues, infringes on state jurisdiction and constitutional provisions.

Banerjee emphasized that the appointment violates the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Act, 2011, which defines governance as a state responsibility. Her letter accused the Modi government of bypassing necessary consultations with the West Bengal government, thereby breaching the federal structure.

The Chief Minister further stated that this central intervention is politically motivated, threatening peace and stability in the region. She called upon the Prime Minister for urgent action to revoke the decision, highlighting the state's decade-long sustaining peace through local reforms.

(With inputs from agencies.)