Bengal brings resolution to debate on BSF jurisdiction extension

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately withdraw the Union home ministry notification

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya And Pranesh Sarkar   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |  13.11.21  : The Bengal government on Friday decided to bring a resolution in the Assembly against the extension of the BSF’s jurisdiction, on a day three persons died in alleged firing by the force in Cooch Behar.

The resolution is to be introduced, discussed and passed on November 16.

The Union home ministry has extended the areas over which the BSF has jurisdiction in Bengal, Punjab and Assam, giving it the powers of arrest, search and seizure in places up to 50km from the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders. The stretch was 15km earlier.

Bengal parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee said after a business advisory committee meeting on Friday that the resolution’s aim was to place the state’s opposition to the decision on record in the House.

“This is to protest the alarming decision, which is likely to create many problems. Law and order is a state subject, according to the Constitution. The extension of the BSF’s jurisdiction has to be firmly resisted. That is the reason for this exercise,” Chatterjee said.

Bengal will be the second state after Punjab to bring in a resolution against the Centre’s decision to extend the BSF’s jurisdiction.

Although the Congress and the CPM do not have any representation in the Bengal Assembly, both parties have been critical of the Centre’s decision.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately withdraw the Union home ministry notification that extended the BSF’s jurisdiction.

The Congress’s leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on Friday said a resolution should be passed in the Bengal Assembly and a firm protest lodged by the state.

The BJP’s legislature party, with 70 MLAs now in the 294-seat House, has declared its intent to participate in the discussion to oppose the resolution.

Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar accused the state government of trying to unnecessarily “politicise national security”.

Later in the day, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla held a meeting with the state government and asked it to make arrangements for land to put up a wire fence along the Bangladesh border with utmost urgency.