Days after the Centre amended the BSF Act to authorise the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch, instead of the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab and other two states, chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi has again slammed the Centre for the decision, saying political parties will hold agitations against the extension of BSF jurisdiction in Punjab.
"We will also approach the Supreme Court seeking justice in this matter," he added.
The CM told this after an all-party meeting in Chandigarh.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu who was also present during the meeting slammed the Central government for extending the BSF limits in the state and alleged that the Centre is weakening the country's federal structure by creating 'a state within a state'.
Sidhu said, "Centre is creating states within states and they are fulfilling their own interests. This is a political move by the BJP to scuttle elections, to camouflage their weak political position in Punjab. BJP is using BSF to interfere in the autonomy of states ruled by opposition parties." Sidhu further claimed that this decision, being taken a few months ahead of assembly elections in Punjab, is aimed at creating unrest to hamper the electoral process in the state.
"Why is this happening just two months before elections, why not in the last 4.5 years? This is to scuttle the electoral process which is the centrifugal force of any democracy. You (BJP) want control on flimsy grounds, where you don't have any political support, but public hate," he added.
The Congress leader further warned the Centre and said that if it does not roll back its fresh notification, then the party will hold an agitation. "We will hold an agitation along with all the parties. The whole world will see. This fight cannot be fought alone, we all will fight together," he added.
Earlier on October 13, the Ministry of Home Affairs empowered the BSF to conduct searches, arrest suspects and make seizures upto an area of 50 km inside Indian territory from the International Border (IB) along India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.
