Punjab Vidhan Sabha passes resolution against Centre's decision to extend BSF jurisdiction
On the second day of the two-day Punjab Vidhan Sabha session on Thursday, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa moved official resolution to reject the Central Government notification extending the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) from 15 km to 50 km.
Just before the resolution was brought in during the Punjab Vidhan Sabha session, two BJP MLAs Arun Narang and Dinesh Babbu left the House.
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Meanwhile, Opposition parties have opposed the Punjab Government's resolution to adjourn the session sine die on Thursday.
The Shiromani Akali Dal and AAP MLAs said important issues of DAP shortage and other farmer-related issues were needed to be debated. Speaker Rana KP Singh said it was a special session called to hold discussion on the farm laws and other issues could not be discussed.
Earlier, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said the decision of extending the jurisdiction of BSF was an expression of distrust towards the Punjab Police and the people of the state.
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The resolution said: "Punjab is a land of martyrs and the brave. Punjabis have made exemplary sacrifices in the freedom struggle and later on in the wars of 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999 and received gallantry awards. The Punjab Police is a unique patriotic force that has contributed in maintaining the unity and integrity of the country. According to the Constitution, maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government and for this purpose the Punjab Government is fully competent."
He said the government should have consulted the state government before taking such a major decision. "The decision of extending the BSF jurisdiction from 15 km to 50 km by the Union Government is an expression of distrust towards the state police and the people of Punjab. This is their insult, too. The Union government should have consulted the state government before taking such a major decision. The law and order situation in Punjab is totally under control. Extending the jurisdiction of BSF is symbolic of petty politics, "it added.
The Centre had earlier in October empowered the Border Security Force (BSF) to conduct searches, arrest suspects and make seizures up to an area of 50 km inside Indian territory from the International Border (IB) along India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.
-PTC News
