Leaders helming two factions of the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association (GCPA), a forum proposing the separate Greater Cooch Behar state, sparred with each other on Saturday.

Nagen Roy, aka Ananta Maharaj, the Rajya Sabha MP of the BJP who heads a faction of the GCPA, said "some others” with no connection to the association were "misusing" its name.

“Some people are misusing the GCPA. We informed the chief secretary of the state, the DGP, along with administrative and police officials of Cooch Behar to stop such people, but nothing has been done so far,” Roy told journalists at his residence on the outskirts of Cooch Behar.

“I want to reach out to common people through the media to inform them that we head the GCPA and there is no other faction....,” he added.

He claimed that a few years back, he had expelled Bangshibadan Barman, who heads the other faction, from the GCPA.

An angry Barman reacted to Roy's remarks.

“We have been with the GCPA since its formation, but he got the registration (of his faction) only last December. He has done nothing for the common people so far,” said Barman. “He is only a BJP Rajya Sabha MP and has no authority to speak about the GCPA."