Channi urges rollback on extend BSF jurisdiction along border

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has condemned the Centre’s move to extend BSF’s jurisdiction to a 50-km belt along the international border in Punjab, Assam, and West Bengal.

Taking to Twitter, Channi urged for an immediate rollback on the ‘irrational’ decision, which he termed was also a ‘direct attack’ on federalism.

Earlier, the BSF’s jurisdiction was a 15 km belt along the border, wherein the central paramilitary forces had the power of arrest, search and seizure on par with their counterparts in the police.

Channi’s demand comes amid strong reactions pouring in from Congress leaders, and other opposition leaders.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa condemned the decision and urged the Centre to withdraw it.

“I urge the prime minister and the home minister to withdraw the move. I do not understand what is in the mind of the government. It is an interference and an attack on our rights,” he told reporters.

Rather than addressing the issue of drones coming from across the border, the Centre has decided to allow the BSF to take action 50 km inside the border, Randhawa said.

“I feel the Centre has doubts on our nationality. I want to say that Punjabis are patriots and love the country,” he added.

Later, in a statement, Randhawa slammed the Centre for a recent amendment in Section 139 of the BSF Act, saying it is tantamount to an “attack on federalism”.

“This illogical decision was absolutely against the spirit of the raising of border-guarding forces, which are required to focus on the international border and act as the first line of defence,” he said.

The Congress leader said policing is not the role of a border-guarding force, rather it will weaken the capacity of the BSF in discharging its primary duty of guarding the international border.