Team News Riveting
Chandigarh, November 11
The Punjab government today moved the official resolution to reject the Central notification extending the jurisdiction of Border Security Force (BSF) from 15 km to 50 km.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) up to 50 km inside the international borders in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam. It powers BSF to arrest, search and seizure that were limited to up to 15 km in these states.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa moved the resolution while the House urged the state government to take up matter with the Centre and get the notification withdraw. Randhawa said they would move the High Court and the Supreme Court over the notification.
SAD leader Bikram Majithia hit out at the treasury benches over “double standards” of the Congress government on deployment of the BSF. He said that on the one hand, the Home Minister was deploying BSF in jails whereas on the other he is opposing the BSF’s increase in jurisdiction along the border.
Chief Minister Charanjit Channi said the draft of the resolution was passed at an all-party meeting. He said all sections would be taken into confidence.
MLA Parminder Dhindsa sought clarification from Channi about the meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The notification on the BSF had been issued after he met Shah. AAP MLA Aman Arora also questioned the timing of the October 11 orders issued by the Centre on BSF, after Channi met Shah.
The resolution rejecting the Ministry of Home Affairs’ order on increasing jurisdiction of the BSF unanimously passed by the House.
