'Gorkhaland agitation not conducive to talks'

The West Bengal government on Wednesday said the ongoing Gorkha Janamukti Morcha agitation is not conducive to the tripartite talks on the demand for Gorkhaland state to be held on December 21.

"The on-going hunger strike and forced closure of state and Central offices from this morning is not conducive to talks. Both cannot go hand in hand...But the tripartite talks, involving the Centre, West Bengal government and the GJM leadership will be held as per schedule," state chief secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty told mediapersons at the state secretariat in Kolkata.

The GJM, which is leading an agitation in the Darjeeling hills demanding a separate hill state, has upped the ante since the Centre agreed to the formation of a separate Telengana state.

Taking a queue from Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K C Rao's hunger strike, the GJM also started a similar agitation in the hills and in the city also, which entered its sixth day on Wednesday.