Opposition skips Mamata's meet on Darjeeling crisis

Total shutdown in the hills enters the eighth day.

With only three political parties including the ruling Trinamool Congress joining talks on the ongoing situation in Darjeeling, the meeting called by West Bengal government in Siliguri on Thursday turned out to be damp squid.

The isolation on the Mamata Banerjee government on the Darjeeling issue was also evident as only two of the 15 development boards set up by the State government in the hills came for talks. This was the first meeting called by the West Bengal government on the situation in Darjeeling and none of political parties from the hills participated in it. Even major Opposition parties like the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led led Left Front stayed away from the meeting.

" This meeting was held without any conditions. Those who have not come i hope in future they will join the meeting," West Bengal Home Secretary Moloy De said after the meeting.

Mr. De said that the government appeals with open mind that the bandh in the hills be withdrawn, adding that the path of dailogue remains open for all stakeholders.

State's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said that the government will keep the process of discussion on and appealed that all kind of disruptive activities in the hills should stop.

Meanwhile the situation in the Darjeeling hills remained the same with near total shutdown of the eight day of indefinite strike called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. While the internet services remained down in the cable television services were also suspended.