BJP slams Mamata Banerjee for letter to PM on BSF jurisdiction; slams her anti-NRC stance

BJP leader Saumitra Khan launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to intervene and reverse the Centre's decision to expand the Border Security Force's (BSF) jurisdiction from 15 to 50 kilometres, claiming that Banerjee was the "political mother of all terrorists in the country." Speaking to ANI, Saumitra Khan urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to not listen to Mamata Banerjee and claimed that she wanted to ruin the country in the same way in which she destroyed West Bengal.

BJP attacks Mamata over letter to PM Modi on BSF jurisdiction

The West Bengal chief minister was also accused by the BJP leader of seeking to turn India into a 'Dharamshala.' "She is the political mother of all terrorists in the country because when the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was passed in the Parliament, she opposed it. When the National Register of Citizens was passed, she opposed it because she wants to make India a 'dharmashala'. Is India a dharmashala that the Rohingyas would enter India, kill people here and loot the money of the Indian government?" Khan questioned.

Saumitra Khan further alleged that Mamata Banerjee was assisting the Rohingyas in their attempt to destabilise the country. "Mamata Banerjee is supporting the Rohingyas to end the integrity of the country. That is the reason she is upset because now terrorists would not be able to enter India as a result of the increase in the border jurisdiction of the BSF from 15 km to 50 km. This is why she is opposing the move as this is her politics," the BJP leader mentioned.

When asked about the chief minister's intention to move a resolution in the West Bengal Assembly, Khan said the chief minister does not believe in states and does not respect the assembly's procedures. "Has she ever believed in the structure of the country? She does not believe in the states. She does not follow the rules of the assembly. It has become her job to oppose the country," he noted.

Centre extends BSF jurisdiction

The Centre has empowered the Border Security Force (BSF) to conduct searches, arrest suspects, and make seizures up to 50 kilometres inside Indian territory from the International Border (IB) along India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders in order to maintain "zero tolerance" against terrorism and cross-border crimes. According to the new order, the BSF, which previously had only been authorised to act up to fifteen kilometres in the states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam, will now be able to extend its jurisdiction up to 50 kilometres without any additional hurdles or permission from the central or state governments.

(with inputs from ANI)

Image: PTI/ANI