In a bid to do a balancing act on the contentious Gorkhaland issue, BJP candidate for Darjeeling lok Sabha seat SS Ahluwalia on Wednesday backed the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha by calling its demand for a separate State “constitutional” but at the same time appealed for a “middle-path” to resolve the issue amicably.
The senior BJP leader told reporters in Siliguri that his party has always supported smaller States — and had backed the creation of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana — insisting that demanding a smaller State by the local Gorkhas does not amount to violation of the Constitution.
But at the same time he said that the tug of war between the two sides over the contentious issue should take recourse on a middle path.
He, however, did not dwell on what the middle path would be. Instead of resolving the issue and addressing the sentiments of the Gorkhas he alleged how the ruling Trinamool Congress is victimising the GJM supporters in the State by bringing charges against them while the TMC supporters are being let off.