A placard in Kurseong addressed to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee reads: “Buddhababu, what do you want to discuss other than Gorkhaland?” (Vivek Singh)

Calcutta/Darjeeling, June 17: Political parties like the Congress, Trinamul Congress, BJP and the CPI were caught on the wrong foot today when their representatives in the Darjeeling hills signed the resolution adopted by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha at an “all-party” meeting demanding Gorkhaland.

Both the Congress and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamul today disowned those who had attended the hills meet.

While Chabi Rai and Nukul Chhetri attended the meeting from the Congress’s hill unit, Gopal Chhetri represented Trinamul, claiming to be the Darjeeling unit president of the party.

“The party has no relation either with Rai or with Chhetri. They are self-styled leaders and they cannot represent the Congress,” said state president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi.

He added that Dawa Narbula, the Darjeeling unit president and an MP, has been asked to probe the matter.

Trinamul MLA Saugata Roy said Gopal Chhetri was not “even a primary member”.

The BJP admitted that the party’s hill unit president G.S. Yonzone had attended the meeting with permission. “But he was asked not to sign any resolution on Gorkhaland. If Yonzone has signed it, he will face disciplinary action,” state BJP president Sukumar Banerjee said. Yonzone refused comment.

“We may initiate disciplinary action against Mohan Singh Rai,” said state secretary of the CPI Manju Kumar Majumdar.

Justifying his act, Rai, a former Kalimpoing MLA said he saw in Bimal Gurung, the Morcha president, a sincere leader. “My party, too, will realise the same thing in the future.”

Chabi Rai said since the meeting was called at a short notice, there had been no time to call up the state leadership. “Moreover the Congress’s hill unit was formed to safeguard the interest of the people here. And since the aspiration of the hill people is a separate state, we signed the resolution.”

Gopal Chhetri admitted that he had been told not to attend the meeting. “But I decided to stand by the hill people.” .