Mamata's stand on BSF ambit alarming for national security, says Dhankhar; TMC hits back

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar firing a fresh salvo at the TMC government on Thursday said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's stand on the expansion of BSF's jurisdiction in the state is "potentially alarming for national security", eliciting a strong response from the ruling party which accused him of acting like a "BJP spokesperson".

In a letter to the chief minister, Dhankhar urged Banerjee to take appropriate steps urgently and address the issue in public and national interests and revise her stance to generate an environment of harmony and cooperation.

The governor's letter was prompted by the chief minister's recent directive to the state police not to allow the BSF to enter areas outside its jurisdiction. At an administrative review meeting on December 7 in Uttar Dinajpur district, Banerjee had directed the police administration not to allow BSF to breach its jurisdiction limits and get involved in law and order of the state.

She gave the same order on Thursday at another meeting in Nadia district. There was no immediate reaction from the state government on the governor's letter. \

"Deeply concerned at your directives concerning BSF including 'BSF is allowed for 15 km that too with the permission of state police' to state apparatus during the course of the official administrative meeting at Ganga Rampur on December 7. These are not in sync with law or the recent Union Home Ministry notification increasing the jurisdiction of the 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," Dhankhar said in the letter which he shared on Twitter.

He said there is need to generate "bonhomie and not confrontation" between the central security agencies and the state police.

"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 environ of harmony and cooperation," the letter read.

"In the state having international border with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, BSF and Central Armed Police Force play significantly well defined crucial role from the perspective of national security and containing criminal illegal activities," Dhankhar said in the letter.

The Centre has recently amended the BSF Act to authorize the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch, instead of 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

Banerjee has criticized the decision, alleging that it is an attempt to interfere with the country's federal structure. She has also claimed that the move is aimed to torture the people in those areas. She had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in November and demanded a rollback of the decision.

At the administrative meeting held at Krishnagar in Nadia district on Thursday, Banerjee said, "I ask the ICs (inspectors-in-charge) to increase their mobility and step up naka checking. You have borders with Bangladesh starting from Karimpur. You have to keep an eye on that too."

"You have also to see that BSF does not get into villages without your permission and get involved with anything. The BSF will do their work and you will do yours. Always remember that law and order is your subject," Banerjee said.

For the last couple of days, Banerjee has been directing the police administration not to allow BSF to breach its jurisdiction limits and get involved in law and order of the state. Earlier, referring to the killing of 13 civilians in firing by security forces in Nagaland, she had alleged that West Bengal had witnessed incidents of BSF getting into villages beyond its jurisdiction in Murshidabad, Malda, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur districts.

West Bengal Assembly had last month passed a resolution against the Centre's decision to extend BSF's jurisdiction. Echoing Dhankhar, the opposition BJP accused Banerjee of driving a wedge between BSF and the state police despite taking the oath to have allegiance to the Constitution.

"I wonder how, the Chief Minister of a State, bound by the oath taken by her, to bear true faith and allegiance towards the Constitution of India & supposed to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India; could repeatedly malign @BSF_India, who are assigned to do just that," BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari tweeted.

He drew the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Governor Dhankhar on the issue and requested the Raj Bhawan to inform the Rashtrapati Bhawan about it.

"She is a repeat offender, wilfully trying to drive a wedge between @BSF_India & @WBPolice. Kindly request @PMOIndia, @HMOIndia, @DefenceMinIndia to take this into cognizance. WB Governor @jdhankhar1 Ji, please apprise Hon'ble @rashtrapatibhvn regarding this matter," he said in a series of tweets. Reacting to the Governor's letter, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said Dhankhar should stop behaving like a "BJP spokesperson".

"The Governor should maintain the dignity of his office. He should stop behaving like a BJP spokesperson. He is talking about federal polity and national security. We would like to know his stance on the demand by a BJP MLA on the separation of Darjeeling hills from West Bengal. Why is he silent on it ? Ghosh said.

Senior Trinamool Congress leader and party's Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, said the chief minister is well within her rights about alerting the police and flagging the issue of BSF atrocities against villagers in many border villages.

The Trinamool Congress government headed by Banerjee has had several run-ins with Dhankhar over a number of issues since he took over as the state governor in July 2018.

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