KOLKATA/BALURGHAT: Stating that Central forces can't 'substitute or supplant' the local administration, Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday urged Centre to consult with states and justify the reasoning behind its decision to extend BSF's territorial jurisdiction in Bengal, Assam and Punjab to be 50km from the existing 15km.
After making it clear that it was ready to listen to Centre's justification behind the move, Trinamool Congress stated that if the Centre and States reach a 'consensus decision' over the issue, the party would abide by the same.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress' women cell on Tuesday staged a demonstration in Balurghat in South Dinajpur over Centre's move.
The demonstration was led by the district president of South Dinajpur Women Trinamool Congress, Pradipta
Chakraborty.
The demonstrators held banners and shouted slogans against the Narendra Modi-led Centre and demanded immediate rollback of the decision.
Chakraborty said: "The Central government has imposed the decision to authorise the BSF to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a 50 km stretch instead of the existing 15 km from the International border without consulting with the state. We are opposing the decision. This is an infringement on the rights of the state."
According to Chakraborty, if the BSF has to organise any search, they can always do it along with the state police and this may also lead to regular confrontations with local police and also villagers when searches and seizures
are done.
"We think the decision is an attack on the federal structure. Despite this, the BSF jawans have allegedly been charged to violate human rights in border villages quite frequently. The border villagers used to face torture by the name of search and infiltration and there are allegations on links
between BSF and smugglers," she said.
She said the BJP government is trying to control the states like Bengal with the help of BSF following the recent defeat in Assembly polls.