Punjab BJP President Ashwani Sharma on Thursday said the resolution passed by the state assembly against the increase in jurisdiction of the BSF from 15 to 50 km reeks of political opportunism and amounts to politicising the security of the country.
In a statement here, the BJP leader said the allegations made by the ruling Congress of the move being an "insult" to the state police, interference with the police responsibility of maintaining law and order and an infringement of the federal structure of the country are totally baseless.
"The statement made by the Deputy Chief Minister on the floor of the House reflects a lack of understanding of border security of the nation and insensitivity to the challenge that the people of Punjab and the nation at large are facing from inimical foreign powers," Sharma said.
"With the extension of the BSF jurisdiction the state police will, in fact, be in a better position to perform its duties since it will get enhanced intelligence inputs from the BSF and also assistance in containing crime," he claimed.
The Punjab BJP chief said, "The 50 km rule is applicable across the country. No other border state has expressed any reservation against it except for Punjab. This being election time the intention of the ruling Congress party becomes very clear."
"The tradition in all democracies across the world is to leave security issues in the hands of the ruling dispensation. In India too this tradition has been followed assiduously earlier. The BJP while in opposition firmly supported all decisions of the ruling party on security aspects. Sadly, the opposition today is throwing this tradition to the winds and interfering in national security matters in an unseemly manner," he said.
"The BJP leader said the jurisdiction of the BSF will remain. The ruling Congress could have won stature for itself by accepting the same gracefully. It is political opportunism is in bad taste. More critically, it poses a threat to national security," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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