Trinamool to attend all party meet provided GJM invited

Kolkata, Jun 13 (UNI) Taking exception to the State Government's decision of not inviting the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in the proposed all party meet here on June 17, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today said her party would attend it if the GJM was also invited.

Addressing newspersons here, Ms Banerjee said an all party meet without participation of the GJM would not be ''transparent'' in its bid to take any resolution to defuse the situation in Darjeeling and solve the issue of demand for statehood.

'' The Trinamool Congress is not averse to attending any all party meet to improve the situation in the hills and taking measures to resist the demand for Gorkhaland, but it should also be represented by the GJM, '' Ms Banerjee observed.

Criticising the fixation of the bi-partite meeting between the State government and GJM on June 18, she said no bi-party was ''ethical'' and able to solve problems in Darjeeling and other hill areas.

'' The fixation of the meeting with the GJM on June 18, the very next day of the all party, indicates that the government wants to put a stamp on its resolution approved by the all party first and then make scope for bargaining the issue with the GJM, '' she maintained.

Lambasting the government for branding the Trinamool Congress as ''non-cooperating'' in regard to any all party meet to resolve serious issues, she reminded that her party also attended an all party meet on Nandigram earlier which did not establish the government's allegation.

'' We consider that the issue of the hills is related to the integrity of the Nation and hence are ready to participate in the all party meet, but against giving an approval to a government resolution without taking into confidence the GJM, the main party involved in the entire issue since its inception, '' she opined.

UNI ADG SJC GT AS1857