Narendra Modi opposes move to amend BSF Act

Modi dubbed it as yet another systematic move to create a state within state or a Second State.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing the proposed move to give sweeping powers to the Border Security Force to arrest and search anyone anywhere in India,saying this is an attempt to create a state within a state.

In a strongly-worded letter to the Prime Minister ahead of meeting of chief ministers on internal security to be held in Delhi on Monday,Modi warned against amending the Border Security Force Act,1968,to give such powers to BSF.

Modi dubbed it as yet another systematic move to create a state within state or a Second State.

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This is another attempt by the Centre to weaken the federal structure of the country. The present central government is hell bent to snatch powers of the state and is conspiring to weaken the federal structure, he said.

The Bill to give power of arrests,searches and seizures anywhere in the country to the BSF is in the agenda of discussion in the meeting of chief ministers on Monday,Modi said in the letter.

As mentioned in the agenda of the NCTC,Modi noted that similar provisions are already available to Central Armed Police Forces like Sashastra Seema Bal,ITBP and CRPF.

Some state governments have expressed their views and favoured the move to give such powers to BSF,the agenda further said as per Modis letter.

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He recalled that he had sent letters to the PM earlier too,opposing the Centres unilateral move to create National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and give wider powers to Railway Protection Force to interfere into states affairs and jurisdiction and curtail their powers.

As far as I understand,BSF was created for the protection of our borders. The BSF has been given powers under Criminal Procedure Code to arrest offenders in border areas and investigate them, Modi said.