Bengal govt to bring resolution against extension of BSF jurisdiction
Darpan News Desk IANS, 12 Nov, 2021 11:08 AM
Kolkata, Nov 12 (IANS) The West Bengal government is planning to bring a resolution in the Assembly against the extension of jurisdiction of the BSF in the state.
After Punjab, West Bengal will be the second state to bring such a resolution.
Earlier on Friday, the Union Home Secretary held a meeting with the state officials over infiltration and fencing of border.
The Central government had last month amended the BSF Act to authorise the border guarding force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a 50 km stretch, up from the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.
Both Punjab and West Bengal have opposed the move.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing the move and asked him to revoke the decision immediately because, according to her, it will have an effect on the federal structure of the country.
"See what took place at the border... 'Law and order' is a state subject. It's not there in the BSF Act. There will be miscommunication between the police and BSF. We will discuss in the Assembly under Rule 185 and will place the demand to revoke extension of BSF jurisdiction," Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Partha Chatterjee said.
Chatterjee was referring to the incident at Sitai in Coochbehar where three persons including one Indian and two Bangladeshis have been killed in the BSF firing.
"There is no need for this kind of decision. There is no need for this kind of extension. This is an effort to put a hand on the state's jurisdiction," MLA of Dinhata in Coochbehar, Udayan Guha told the assembly on Friday.
Alleging that BSF is hand in glove with the smugglers and infiltrators, Guha said: "They have a fencing in Coochbehar which is secure and hard to cross. They only open the gates three times for an hour each time. Now in this condition how can infiltrators enter without their help? The Central government should try to control its forces first without trying to overstep into the jurisdiction of the state."
Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Adhir Choudhury also said that the state government should make it clear to the Centre that they are unwilling to accept the move of the MHA and for which an assembly resolution is much needed. He said that the people of the bordering districts will not feel safe with the enhanced power of BSF.
Director General of Police Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota said the Ludhiana rural police earlier this week arrested two persons for providing shelter and logistical support to the accused, Ranjeet Singh, alias Gora, in the Jalalabad blast case, which is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who reached Ayodhya for the fifth 'Deepotsav' (festival of lights) event, while inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of various projects worth Rs 661 crore, credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the construction of a grand Ram temple and also launched an attack on the opposition parties.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday warned that if the farmers' demands are not met till November 26, they would pitch tents the following day across all borders of Delhi and reinvigorate their agitation.
In a bonanza to the people of Punjab ahead of Diwali, the Punjab Cabinet on Monday decided to reduce the power tariff to domestic sector consumers having connected load up to 7 KW by Rs 3 per unit.
The Congress is offering 40 per cent reservation in tickets to women in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, because the party knows that it would not come to power in the politically crucial state anyway, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said here on Monday.
The Congress is closely watching former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's moves and the leaders who have close ties with him. The state unit has been tasked to placate such leaders or arrange a meeting with the high command.
