Kolkata, 18 October (H.S.): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Gorkhaland issue. In the letter, the Chief Minister described the Central Government's decision to appoint a mediator on the Gorkhaland statehood issue as taken without consultation with the state government and requested that it be reviewed and withdrawn.

The Central Government appointed former Deputy National Security Advisor and retired IPS officer Pankaj Kumar Singh for this responsibility. The Chief Minister wrote to the Prime Minister on Saturday after the appointment letter was issued on Friday.

Mamata Banerjee stated in her letter that considerable efforts have been made to restore peace in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration region. The state government's full participation in this process is crucial. Any action taken without the state government's consultation could be detrimental to the region's peace and stability.

In the letter, the Chief Minister wrote, The Government of West Bengal firmly believes that any initiative involving the Gorkha community or the GTA region should be undertaken with the full consultation and cooperation of the State Government, in order to maintain the long-established regional peace and stability.

She further wrote, Any unilateral action in this sensitive matter will not be conducive to the peace and harmony of the region. Therefore, I request you to reconsider and withdraw the appointment letter issued without prior discussion and consultation with the State Government. This step is necessary in the interest of genuine consensus between the Centre and the State and the spirit of federalism.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey