New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) A four-member Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) delegation alongwith Darjeeling Member of Parliament Jaswant Singh met Home Minister P. Chidambaram here Friday to press for creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland in northern West Bengal.

The GJM has announced a four-day bandh and relay hunger strike in the hills, triggering an exodus of tourists from the region.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the meeting, Jaswant Singh said he had assured the home minister that "peace will be maintained" during the bandh, but added that "people must give voice to their sentiments".

He said the demand for Gorkhaland is the "oldest demand for separate statehood of any state carved out in the union of India".

"I emphasized that this is not an attempt in any fashion to exploit the Telangana announcement or to ride piggyback on the Telangana situation," he said.

"The people's aspiration in the Gorkhaland area were raised by the fact that Telangana was announced," he said.

Singh said that Chidambaram did share "his understanding that there was a kind of sentiment in Gorkhaland hills that was excited by the announcement of Telangana".

"I also mentioned that tripartite discussions (on Gorkhaland) due to be held on Dec 21 must be held in Darjeeling," he said.

A four-member GJM delegation, led by its general secretary Roshan Giri, arrived in New Delhi Friday. They are also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and opposition leaders L.K. Advani and Rajnath Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).