Kolkata, December 13: Asserting that the creation of smaller states will not only weaken the country’s federal structure but give fillip to similar demands from various groups, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Saturday said it did not support the creation of Telangana.
“If a new state of Telangana is created, then each and every locality of India will raise slogans for new statehood. Then will the centre agree to that also?” asked CPI-M central committee member Mohammed Salim.
“We don’t support the creation of new state of Telangana as it will not solve the problem as a whole and also flare up demands of new statehood made by different groups within the country,” Salim told mediapersons at the party’s West Bengal state headquarters.
He said the demand for Telangana rose due to lack of development in some areas of Andhra Pradesh, but instead of addressing those issues, the central government was planning to create a new state.
“Did the creation of Jharkhand or Chattisgargh solve the problems of underdevelopment in the state? The flipflop on the part of Congress on the issue of Telangana has led Andhra Pradesh to turmoil.”
Turning to the renewed agitation for Gorkhaland in the northern part of the state, the CPI-M leader trained his guns on the main opposition Trinamool Congress, asking it to clarify its stand on Gorkhaland.
He alleged that the Trinamool had taken the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s (GJM) help to win the assembly by-election in Rajganj in northern West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district. It was in turn supporting the Gorkhaland demand.
“And now when they say they don’t want partition of Bengal, people don’t believe them. The dual face of the Trinamool is well known. They want partition of Bengal,” said Salim.
Salim lashed out at Trinamool for politicising the issue of Singur regarding the proposed rail coach factory.
“We want industry to come up in Singur. But the Trinamool is needlessly politicising it. We feel such issues should not be politicised,” he said.
He also questioned the Trinamool’s opposition to the proposed Haripur nuclear plant in East Midnapore district.
“They are opposing it saying it will have adverse effect on the environment. If they are so much concerned about the environment, they should have opposed the 123 agreement (with the US),” said Salim.
——IANS