Congress's Bengal unit says no to Gorkhaland

The Congress in West Bengal today opposed creation of Gorkhaland by bifurcating the state and said the region cannot be compared with Telangana in Andhra Pradesh as socio-economic situations were dissimilar in the two states.

The state unit also conveyed its feelings to Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

"We have expressed our concern to Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also the West Bengal Pradesh Congress  Committee (WBPCC) president, on the second split (first was creation of east Bengal, now Bangladesh) of the state," WBPCC working president Pradip Bhattacharjee told PTI after their meeting with Mukherjee at the latter's residence.

Expressing concern on the issue, Bhattacharjee said that Telangana could never be a model for Gorkhaland since political and socio-economic situations obtaining in the two regions were dissimilar.

"We have already suffered a split and cannot suffer another," Bhattacharjee told Mukherjee who declined to make any comment citing the reason that Parliament was in session.

"Whatever to be said, I will say on the floor of the House first and later to the media," Mukherjee was quoted as having told Bhattacharjee.