Sticking to his stand over the issue of extension to BSF’s jurisdiction, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday asked the Congress-led State Government to not to politicise the national security, while asserting that extending BSF jurisdiction neither infringes on federal authority nor questions competence of state police.
Rejecting the resolution unanimously passed in the Vidhan Sabha against the Centre’s move to extend BSF’s operational jurisdiction from 15 kms to 50 kms, Amarinder asked the Congress Government not to politicise the issue of national security for petty partisan motives.
“The operational jurisdiction of the BSF concerns national security and not law and order in the state, which the current powers that be in Punjab are apparently not able to understand,” he said.
Amarinder said that it was sad that the Government was trying to politicise an issue that concerns national security and all border states, including Punjab.
“Extending the operational jurisdiction of the BSF neither infringes upon the federal authority of the state, nor questions the competence of the state police in maintaining law and order, as some vested political interests are trying to make out,” he said.
Amarinder, who has recently floated his own party —Punjab Lok Congress— after parting ways with Congress, said that there is a huge difference between law and order and national security.