After the Union government decided to give the Border Security Force (BSF) power to undertake search, seizure, and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch, instead of the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam, the Indian National Congress party led by Sonia Gandhi on Saturday (October 16) said, “it will consult other political parties as well as state governments and formulate a course of action to compel the Modi government to repeal the order on it,”.
The decision to allow the BSF to search, seizure, and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch from the border of these three states was taken because huge amounts of drugs and weapons were being smuggled. In Punjab, drones were being used by Pakistan to transport drugs and weapons to create unrest.
However, Congress Working Committee (CWC) said it will pass a resolution and said that the party has noted with grave concern the notifications issued by the central government empowering the officers of central security forces to search any place and arrest, as also search any person in the purported exercise of powers to prevent a cognisable offence under any central act.
“This is a dangerous encroachment on the exclusive power of the states and the powers of the state police,” the CWC said.
So now the Congress has decided it will consult all other political parties as well as state governments and formulate a course of action and force the Modi government to repeal these notifications, the resolution stated. Such proclamations are quite similar with regards to the farmer’s protest that is currently taking place in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and have taken a more militant and anti-India discourse.
As per the latest notification issued by the Centre, BSF will have the power to execute search, seizure and arrest for the purpose of prevention of any offence punishable under the Passport Act, the Registration of Foreigners Act, the Central Excises and Salt Act, the Foreigners Act, the Foreign Exchange Management Act, the Customs Act or of any cognisable offence punishable under any other Central Act, according to officials.
The resolution was necessitated after a “monstrous proportions” of drugs was seized at Mundra Port, Gujarat. Security agencies seized 3,000 kg of heroin following reports of another large consignment that was successfully “imported” into India.
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