KLO chief launches scathing attack on Centre

Cooch Behar: Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO) Chief, Jiban Singha, advocating for a separate state, launched a scathing attack on the Central government. The self-styled chief of the banned outfit cautioned that if the Union government does not create a separate state of Kamtapur (Greater Cooch Behar), the Kamtapuri people of this region will no longer support the BJP.

In the video message (authenticity of the video message has not been verified by Millennium Post) Jiban Singha stated: “We, the residents of Koch Kamtapur, consider ourselves Indians, but the Government of India and its policies do not recognise us as such. We aspire for the division of Kamtapur and as a separate state and the establishment of the Indian constitution in Greater Cooch Behar. The Indian government appears to be reluctant to grant our demand. If necessary, we are ready to wage a war but will not retract from our separate state demand.”

He further mentioned that if the Central government fails to make a decision regarding the declaration of Cooch Behar as a separate state before the Lok Sabha elections, the people of Koch Kamtapur, Greater Cooch Behar, and North Bengal will not support the BJP.

Singha unequivocally stated that they are prepared to fight for their demands. He claimed that they had supported the BJP in winning 20 Assembly seats in Assam, Bihar, and North Bengal. Singha questioned why Koch Kamtapur couldn’t have its own state, just as Punjabis have Punjab and Bengalis have Bengal.

Singha also highlighted the Central government’s failure to implement the annexation agreement and grant separate state status to Cooch Behar, despite 76 years of Independence. He accused the Central government of attempting to undermine the Koch Kamtapur demand.

In response to Singha’s statements, BJP Cooch Behar district president, Sukumar Roy, stated: “We have no comments on Jiban Singha’s statements but the North Bengal region is in need of development. BJP MLAs are actively working for the progress and development of this region.”

Regarding Singha’s video message, TMC spokesperson, Partha Pratim Roy, dismissed it, saying: “Jiban Singha is a mouthpiece for the BJP. It’s best not to pay much attention to his video messages.”