Need to yield to primacy of national interest, security ignoring partisan considerations: WB Governor on BSF issue

Amid the ongoing tussle over the extension of the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF), West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said that there is a need to yield to the primacy of national interest and security ignoring partisan considerations.

Dhankhar's remarks came as the response against Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray's questioning the Governor's stance on BSF's jurisdiction issue.

In a letter to the TMC MP, the Governor wrote, "On national security issues, there is a need to yield to the primacy of national interest and security ignoring partisan considerations. In federal polity, all agencies, central and state, need to engage in tandem and togetherness. This was also emphasised when CS and ACS (Home) called on me. They were indicated to take urgent steps to ensure cooperative coordination between state apparatus and BSF."

Dhankhar said seamless coordination between BSF and State administration and police would affirmatively contribute to these agencies effectively performing their role. The BSF is enjoined by law with the task of "ensuring the security of the borders of India."

"All need to work for the welfare of the people of the State and ensure that governance is in accordance with constitutional prescriptions and rule of law where democratic values and human rights situations blossom. The situation, as all are aware, at the moment on all these counts needs massive uplift," he added.

Last week, Dhankhar had slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her recent direction to the state police asking it not to allow the Border Security Force (BSF) to enter villages outside its 'jurisdiction of 15 km' and alleged that her statements can create problems between the local police and the paramilitary force.

On December 9, the Chief Minister had hit out at the Union government for its decision to extend the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) to 50 km from the prior limit of 15 km in the state, this time directing the state's police to not allow BSF personnel to enter villages without their permission.

Later in the day, the West Bengal Governor wrote to CM Mamata Banerjee, urging her to revisit her directives with regard to the BSF.

The Centre, earlier in the month of October, had 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 India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.

The BSF, which was only empowered to take action up to 15 kilometres in the states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam, has now been authorised to extend its jurisdiction up to 50 km without any hurdle or 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.

( With inputs from ANI )

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