New Delhi, Oct. 13: The Union government amended the BSF Act to authorise the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch, instead of the existing 15 kms, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.
A decision by the Union home ministry to extend the area under jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) in three states sparked a political controversy on Wednesday with the ruling parties in Punjab and West Bengal opposing the decision.
The third state, Assam, is ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Union government amended the BSF Act to authorise the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch, instead of the existing 15 kms, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.
In Gujarat, which shares border with Pakistan, the same limit was reduced from 80 km to 50 km, and in Rajasthan, it was kept unchanged at 50 km.
Punjab, which is ruled by the Congress, called the move an attack on federalism.
“I strongly condemn the government of India's unilateral decision to give additional powers to BSF within 50km belt running along the international borders, which is a direct attack on the federalism. I urge the Union home minister Amit Shah to immediately rollback this irrational decision,” Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi tweeted.
Earlier in the day, the chief minister faced some barbs from former party state unit chief Sunil Jakhar. “Has Charanjit Channi unwittingly managed to hand over half of Punjab to the Central govt? 25000sq km (out of total 50,000sq km) has now been placed under BSF jurisdiction,” Jakhar tweeted.
Former chief minister Amarinder Singh supported the move. “Let's not drag central armed forces into politics,” he said.
In Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress opposed the decision.
“I am sure the Bengal government will oppose this because it (the plan) is infringing on the sovereign rights of the state. The BSF, in any case, is a problematic organisation. There are allegations of links between BSF and smugglers. To let them increase their area of operation would be suicidal. I totally oppose this,” party MP Saugata Roy said.
In Bengal, several officers of the BSF are under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation in a 2020 transborder cattle smuggling case.
A BSF spokesperson said the decision established uniformity in defining the area within which the force could operate. “This will also enable improved operational effectiveness in curbing trans-border crime,” the spokesperson added.
The BJP accused the Opposition of politicising national security. “We hope that political parties would rise above their political interests and not create a precarious situation,” said party national secretary Subhash Sharma.
The Union home ministry issued a notification in this context on October 11 amending a July, 2014 enabling provision for the BSF personnel and officers while they operate in border areas.
The notification will allow the force to search, seizure and arrest on par with the state police in an extended area. BSF personnel will continue to invoke these powers in the “whole of the area” in Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya and the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
