After rejecting the offer of parleys with the West Bengal government, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha said on Saturday that it was ready for talks with the Centre and that Gorkhaland should not be considered a separatist demand.
“We are ready for talks with the Centre. At the same time the government should not think that Gorkhaland is a separatist demand. It is within the framework of the Constitution,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said from Darjeeling.
Replying to a question, Giri said, “We will go to Delhi to meet Central government leaders. We will tell them our grievances when we meet them.”
On Left Front chairman Biman Bose’s contention that the GJM was not a registered party and that was why it was not invited to the all-party meeting on June 17, Giri said, “Of course, ours is a registered party.”
Earlier, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in Kolkata that the Centre was ready for talks with the GJM without preconditions.
He also said that there was no question of creating a separate state of Gorkhaland.