Dhankhar shoots letter to Mamata over her directive on BSF's jurisdiction

Kolkata, Dec 9 (IANS) A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked the district police in Malda not to allow BSF inside the villages without permission, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar shot a letter to Banerjee, alleging that "these (instructions) are not in sync with the law or the recent Union Home Ministry notification increasing the jurisdiction of BSF in the state from 15 km to 50 km".

Expressing deep concern at the directive issued by the Chief Minister regarding BSF at an administrative meeting in South Dinajpur district, the Governor wrote: "These are not in sync with law or the recent Union Home Ministry notification increasing the jurisdiction of BSF in the state from 15 km to 50 km. Your stance has sent disturbing signals and is potentially alarming for federal polity and national security."

"In a state having an international border with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, BSF and Central Armed Police Forces play a significantly well-defined role from the perspective of national security and containing illegal criminal activities. There is an obvious mend to generate bonhomie and not confrontation, cooperation and not combat, among these agencies and the state apparatus."

He went on to say, "To ensure this, it is compulsively expedient that the law-and-order agencies of the state and the CAPF play their respective roles and perform their assigned duties in a coordinated and synergical manner to ensure overall safety and security.

"Towards this, appropriate sensitisation of the state apparatus is called for so that mutual confidence is bolstered, coordination and cooperation is enhanced among the various state and Central security agencies that need to work in tandem and togetherness."

"This imperatively calls for, in public and national interest, that your directives, instructions as also stance regarding functioning of BSF in the state be revisited so as to generate an environment of harmony and cooperation. Given the critical and momentous significance of the issue, while expecting an early update, I am sure appropriate steps, as stated, would be urgently taken at your end," Dhankhar concluded.

On Tuesday, Banerjee had instructed inspectors-in-charge and block development officers to not allow BSF personnel to enter the villages without prior permission. Not only in South Dinajpur district, but she retorted the same thing in an administrative meeting in Nadia on Thursday.

"There is one problem in your area," Mamata said addressing the South Dinajpur district police officers.

"BSF personnel enter villages, threaten villagers. They are even seen in voting queues. See what happened in Nagaland. Sitalkuchi happened, recently three people were killed in Cooch Behar," she added.