Govt Extends BSF Jurisdiction In 3 Border States, Punjab CM Urges Centre To Roll Back Decision

The Chief Minister urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to immediately roll back this “irrational” decision.

(Representative Image/Getty)

Chandigarh: Condemning the Centre’s unilateral decision to give additional powers to the Border Security Force (BSF) within 50 kms belt along the international border, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi called the move a “direct attack on federalism”.

The Chief Minister urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to immediately roll back this “irrational” decision.

“I strongly condemn the GoI's unilateral decision to give additional powers to BSF within 50 KM belt running along the international borders, which is a direct attack on the federalism. I urge the Union Home Minister @AmitShah to immediately rollback this irrational decision,” he tweeted.

Echoing similar sentiments, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also asked the Union Home Minister to withdraw the decision.

Randhawa in a statement said there are no justifiable reasons for unilaterally changing the existing arrangements by the Government of India, except to weaken the state government and the spirit of federalism.

The Congress party also criticized this move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the Punjab Chief Minister must oppose the decision.

“MHA Notification enhancing operational mandate of BSF,15 to 50 KM’s in Punjab,West Bengal &Assam transgresses upon Constitutional Public order & Policing remit of States Half of Punjab will now fall under BSF jurisdiction @CHARANJITCHANNI must oppose it,” he tweeted.

Congress leader Sunil Jakhar lashed out at the Punjab Chief Minister over this development.

“Be careful what you ask for! Has CM Channi unwittingly managed to hand over half of Punjab to central government? 25,000 square kilometre [out of total 50,000 square kilometres] has now been placed under BSF jurisdiction. Punjab Police stands castigated. Do we still want more autonomy to states?” he tweeted.

The Congress leader retweeted a screenshot of an October 5 Facebook post by the Punjab Chief Minister in which the latter had written, “Further asked Home Minister Amit Shah to seal the international border with Punjab to curb trafficking of drugs and weapons. I hope that the HM will take strict action on these matters immediately.”

Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, however, backed the Central government’s decision.

“Our soldiers are being killed in Kashmir. We’re seeing more and more weapons and drugs being pushed by Pak-backed terrorists into Punjab. BSF’s enhanced presence and powers will only make us stronger. Let’s not drag central armed forces into politics,” Singh said via a tweet posted by his media advisor Raveen Thukral.

“Partisan considerations can’t and shouldn’t dictate our stand on issues of national security. I’d said that at the time of the 2016 surgical strikes and am saying it again. We’ve to rise above politics when India’s security is at stake, as it is now,” he added.

The BSF’s jurisdiction earlier was a 15 km belt along the border. The BSF personnel have the powers of arrest, search and seizure in the area under its jurisdiction on par with their counterparts in the police.

“The amendment effected on October 11, 2021 establishes uniformity in defining the area within which Border Security Force can operate as per its charter of duties and execution of its role and task of border guarding in its areas of deployment,” the Union Home Ministry said in its notice.

“This will also enable improved operational effectiveness in curbing trans-border crime,” the ministry added.

The area under the BSF jurisdiction in Gujarat has been reduced to a 50 km belt from 80 km.

The area under the BSF jurisdiction has, however, remained the same in Rajasthan at 50 km.

No limit has been prescribed in Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Ladakh.

Section 139 of the Border Security Force Act, 1968, empowers the Central government to notify the force's jurisdiction.

It requires that any such order be laid before each House of the Parliament. The two Houses of Parliament can modify or annul these orders.