West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Union Government of riding roughshod over the state’s objections by allowing a newly appointed interlocutor for the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) areas to begin functioning, describing the move as “unilateral and arbitrary” and “wholly unconstitutional”.
In a strongly worded four-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee stated that despite her earlier appeal on 18 October and the Prime Minister’s assurance that the matter would be looked into by the Union Home Minister, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed the state on 10 November that the interlocutor’s office had already started functioning. “This is really shocking,” she wrote.
“This unilateral and arbitrary action of the Central Government, undertaken without any consultation or concurrence of the Government of West Bengal, is wholly unconstitutional, without jurisdiction, and devoid of any legal sanctity,” the Chief Minister stated in her letter.
Banerjee argued that Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong hill areas are governed by the Gorkha Territorial Administration Act, 2011, a law passed by the West Bengal legislature, and therefore fall exclusively under the state’s jurisdiction. “The Darjeeling region is an inseparable and integral part of the State of West Bengal… Consequently, the Central Government has no jurisdictional competence to appoint any representative or interlocutor in matters pertaining to these regions,” she asserted.
Describing the appointment as “a blatant encroachment upon the federal structure of the nation and an assault on the autonomy of the State of West Bengal”, Banerjee warned that such actions “not only undermine the constitutional federal structure but also erode the spirit of unity and mutual respect that defines our democratic polity”.
She further alleged that the Centre’s decision “appears to be a politically motivated attempt to disturb the peace and stability of the region” that has remained calm since the 2011 GTA agreement and subsequent development initiatives of her government. “The Government of West Bengal categorically rejects and strongly objects to this unconstitutional, arbitrary, and politically coloured interference in the internal affairs of the State,” the letter read.
Making a direct appeal to the Prime Minister, Banerjee wrote: “I once again look forward to your kind intervention and request you to revoke this unconstitutional and arbitrary order.”
The fresh escalation comes at a time when the BJP has been trying to regain ground in the Darjeeling hills ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, with Gorkha leaders close to the ruling party at the Centre repeatedly demanding greater autonomy and the fulfilment of older promises, including the long-pending issue of tribal status for 11 Gorkha communities.
