Guwahati: A day after a group of Bodos raised the demand for a separate "Bodoland" state to be carved out of Assam, the Consortium of Koch Royal Families (Conkorf), on Thursday raised the demand for a separate "Koch Hajo" state.

According to the organisation, there is no historical basis of the demand for "Bodoland" as the ancient Bodo Kachari comprised Cachar and a part of Nagaland with Dimapur as the capital and not the areas that they are demanding as "Bodoland".

Conkorf said in the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD), comprising Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri and Chirang, Bodos comprise only 27 per cent of the total population.

Conkorf secretary Pranab Narayan Dev said: "The way Bodo people have twisted historical facts to demand a separate Bodoland on the north bank of the Brahmaputra is ridiculous. The ancient Koch kingdom of Assam, with Kamtapur as the capital, comprised parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The Koch Hajo kingdom was established after separating Cooch Behar and Raghu Dev was made the king. There are historical landmarks and palaces to prove the existence of the Koch Hajo kingdom. The areas demanded by the Bodos belong to the Koch people. If a separate state is to be formed, it should be a Koch-Rajbongshi kingdom."

"If the Bodos want a separate state, they should demand Dimapur from the Nagas. The Bodos have intensified their agitation and are holding demonstrations in New Delhi. The source of funds for such a movement should be scrutinised. We strongly suspect that funds meant for development of the BTAD are being misused. The stand of ministers Pramila Rani Brahma and Rihon Daimary on the Bodoland issue should be made clear," Dev added.