Notwithstanding West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s hard stand on the Darjeeling agitation, the Centre may intervene to defuse the tension in the hills.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has received a representation from Minister of State for Agriculture S S Ahluwalia, who is also the BJP MP from Darjeeling, requesting him to constitute a panel to look into the merits and demerits of the long-pending demand of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis and others of the hills of West Bengal.

The Gorkhas and others are up in arms after Mamata’s announcement that Bengali would be a must in schools. This has been described by BJP ally Gorkha Janamukti Morcha as “language imperialism”.

Ahluwalia has been seen in the corridors of the North Block several times since June 8 holding meetings with senior officials, including the home secretary on Tuesday, on the Darjeeling crisis.