DARJEELING: With mounting pressure from all quarters, BJP MP of Darjeeling Raju Bista raised the issue of Permanent Political Solution (PPS) in the Parliament on Wednesday.
The issue was raised under Rule 377 of the Rules and Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. Bista alleged that Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars have remained deprived and under-developed.
"Owing to this, the demand of Gorkhaland has been raised time and again. The separate state demand is also related to the identity issue of one and a half crore Gorkhas residing in India.
Our party, the BJP— considering the demand of the people residing in this region— has assured to provide a permanent political solution. I urge the Union Home Ministry to take up the matter of a permanent political solution for the region," added Bista.
Incidentally, the BJP in the party Sankalp Patra (election manifesto) of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 had assured of a permanent political solution for the Hills.
With no development in this front, Hill parties have started putting pressure on the BJP and Bista demanding that the process for the permanent political solution be initiated.
While BJP ally GNLF has decided to send a representation to Delhi next week to ensure that the "Permanent political solution" starts rolling, the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) has threatened to launch an agitation including indefinite hunger strike from August 1.
Meanwhile, Anit Thapa, working president, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has stated that seeking votes in the name of Gorkhaland is nothing but politics of deceit.
"Now, Gorkhaland has been transformed into a Permanent Political Solution. The politics of deceit is not long lasting. We need to change this brand of politics in the Hills," stated Thapa, while addressing party workers from Bijanbari in a meeting in Darjeeling town on Wednesday.