New Delhi/IBNS: Triggering a row, Union Minister and West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sukanta Majumdar has proposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include North Bengal in the NorthEast region, in a bid to facilitate the state with more funds and development.

Majumdar said in a video message, "I met the Prime Minister and submitted a proposal to include North Bengal within the NorthEast zone considering their similarities.

"If North Bengal as a part of West Bengal is included in NorthEast, the funds from the central schemes will increase leading to more development in the region. Now, the Prime Minister will decide."

In a message for the arch-rival Trinamool Congress (TMC), which rules West Bengal, Majumdar said, "I hope the state government will not oppose this."

In 2021, John Barla, the then BJP MP from Alipurduar, had demanded North Bengal as a separate state or a union territory.

Won't allow division of Bengal, responds TMC

In a sharp attack on Majumdar, a BJP MP from West Bengal's Balurghat, TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta posted on X, "Anti-Bengal, Anti-Bengali @BJP4Bengal is up to their old tricks again.. BJP State President & Union Min. @DrSukantaBJP submitted a proposal to PM @narendramodi to incorporate North Bengal with North East India! Let me be very clear to The descendants of Radcliffe - Bengal has been partitioned before causing tremendous agony to millions, who lost everything…

"We will NOT let that happen again.. We will FIGHT to the last drop of our blood to protect the sovereignty, integrity & boundary of Bengal! BENGAL WILL NEVER BE DIVIDED AGAIN !!"