Kolkata, Sep 21 (IANS): Slamming his party leadership for 'burning the bridges' with the West Bengal government, GJM legislator Trilok Kumar Dewan on Monday quit the party, which has threatened to revive the separatist movement in the Darjeeling hills.
The resignation of Dewan, who represented Darjeeling constituency, comes days after Kalimpong legislator Harka Bahadur Chettri too quit the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Friday blaming the "autocratic" attitude of the party leadership.
Accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in the state of "interfering" and "non-cooperation" in the affairs of the autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) governing the Darjeeling hills, the GJM had announced its three legislators would resign from the assembly in protest.
But both -- Chettri and Dewan -- have accused the GJM supremo and GTA chief Bimal Gurung of unilaterally taking the decision on the resignation of the MLAs.
"We are elected representatives of the people and part of the state government. But I am sorry to say, instead of building more and more bridges, we are burning the existing ones. This is very very dangerous for the people of Darjeeling," Dewan told mediapersons at the state assembly here after tendering his resignation as a legislator.
"I am resigning from the party from today. I have already prepared a letter. I have also tendered in my resignation of the seat in the house," said Dewan while refusing to comment on the query if he would be joining any other party.
While there has been speculation that Chettri may join the Trinamool, the Gorkha leader who has decided to work as an independent legislator, declined to make any comments on that.
GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said the party was yet to receive a formal communication about the legislators' resignations.
"We have not yet received any formal communication of resignation either from Dewan or Chettri. We can comment on the issue only after we get that," Giri told IANS.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader and North Bengal Development Minister Gautam Deb said that both -- Chettri and Dewan -- were welcome to join the Trinamool.
"Since it's a matter concerning another party I am not supposed to make a comment. But both Chettri and Dewan are able legislators and administrators. If they wish to join the Trinamool, they are welcome," said Deb.
Bimal Gurung had charged the Trinamool with pursuing a 'divide and rule' policy over the state government setting up development boards for indigenous communities from the region including Lepcha, Bhutia, Tamang and Sherpa.