Leader of the Indian National Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Chowdhury on Thursday slammed the Centre's move to extend the jurisdiction of the BSF to a 50-kilometre belt along the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam stating that it is a "brazen infringement upon the territory of states".
Targetting the Home Minister of India Amit Shah, Chowdhary said, "you should not indulge any 'Chherkhani' else will face the consequences".
"The expansion of the BSF area of jurisdiction upto 50 km from the border of some states amounts to the brazen infringement upon the territory of states.HMO India, you should not indulge any 'Chherkhani' else will face the consequences," tweeted Chowdhury.
Earlier on Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi condemned the Centre's decision to extend the BSF's jurisdiction over a wider area along the borders of three states and said that it is a "direct attack on federalism".
Channi requested the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to immediately roll back this irrational decision.
In a move aimed at maintaining "zero tolerance" against terrorism and cross border crimes, the Centre has empowered the 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 the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.
As per the fresh order, the BSF, which was only empowered to take action up to fifteen kilometres in the states of Punjab, West Bengal and Assam, has now been authorised to spread its jurisdiction up to 50 km without any hurdle or further permission either from central or state governments.
However, its jurisdiction has been cut short by 20 km in the five northeastern states-- Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya-- where it had jurisdiction up to 80 km. Similarly in Gujarat, the BSF's jurisdiction has been curtailed from 80 to 50 km.
In Rajasthan, the BSF's area of jurisdiction will remain the same at 50 km. An officer of the rank corresponding to that of the lowest rank of member of the BSF is now empowered under the CrPC to exercise and discharge the powers and duties without an order from a Magistrate and without a warrant.
The officer is now empowered to arrest any person who has been concerned in any cognizable offence, or against whom a reasonable complaint has been made, or credible information has been received. A BSF officer has now been given the power to conduct a search of a place entered by a person sought to be arrested in its new area of jurisdiction.
( With inputs from ANI )
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