As Telangana statehood creates ripple effect, the demand for a separate Karbi Anglong state in Assam turned violent today and three outfits chalked out agitation plans for separate states of Bodoland, Kamatapur and Gorkhaland in the eastern region.
With the Congress and UPA giving its nod for carving out Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP supremo Mayawati renewed her demand for further splitting the country's most populous state into four parts.
She has proposed splitting UP into Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh Pradesh and Pashchimanchal. The hill state of Uttarakhand was carved out of UP in 2000.
GJM general secretary Roshan Giri announced indefinite bandh in Darjeeling Hills from Saturday to press for a separate Gorkhaland state but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee firmly ruled out division of the state.
"If there can be a Telangana state then why not a Gorkhaland? We are demanding that out 107 year-old legitimate demand (of a separate state) be fulfilled," GJM general secretary and spokesman Roshan Giri told newsmen after a party core committee meeting in Darjeeling. The three-day GJM bandh ended today.
Mamata on her part said, "Darjeeling is part and parcel of West Bengal.
"There is no question of division of West Bengal. We are united, we will be united and we will be together," Banerjee told a press conference in Kolkata.
Demanding that a separate Karbi Anglong be carved out of Assam along the lines of Telangana, agitators belonging to several organisations gheraoed the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council in Diphu and locked its main gate, official sources said.
They threw stones at the houses of Congress MP Birensing Ingti, MLA Bidyasing Engleng, Council's chief executive member Joyram Engleng and its executive member Tuliram Ronghang and damaged their property.
The agitators, who belonged to Karbi Students Association, Karbi Riso Adorba and other organisations, even broke the gate of Engleng's residence and damaged the cars parked in the compound, the sources said.
This prompted the police to fire several rounds in the air near the house but no injury to any person was reported.
