Chandigarh, November 18, 2021:All India Defense Brotherhood (AIDB) Pb Chapter along with some young scholars today held a joint meeting at Chandigarh.
While addressing the meeting Brig. Kuldip Singh Kahlon, state President AIDB welcomed the unanimous resolution adopted by the Pb legislative Assembly on 11 Nov, against the union government decision which on 11 October amended the BSF Act 1968, and authorized Forces to undertake search seizure and arrest within 50 km from the 553 km, international border in Punjab, West Bengal & Assam.
At the same time reducing the limit of Gujarat from 80 km to 50 km. Brig. Kahlon stated that passing of resolution alone is not enough. Politicians of all shades now busy consolidating vote bank, must collectively take the fight to its logical conclusion. Pb Govt. should, under article 131, take the matter to the Supreme Court, since it’s a collective mandate of people of Punjab.
BSF Inspector General for Punjab frontier, Sonali Mishra during the press conference on 13th Nov, stated that “emerging security challenges, particularly when during the current year 45 drones have been sighted, within 6 kms of IB, 387 kgs of heroin, 55 weapons recovered, and 77 suspects have been arrested. Hence, she justified the extension of BSF jurisdiction. To a question, she said IB is fully sealed.
Axiomatically, when the border is sealed and such recovery is within 15km then where is the need to enhance the limit for BSF to 50km, exclaimed Kahlon. He also stated when Punjab Govt has set up separate border range for Amritsar, Gurdaspur and in Ferozepur district to deal with the crimes in their area of jurisdiction, then why MHA and BSF did not consult Pb govt. and border range police to verify the infiltration from Pakistan, if it has reached deep inside Punjab which ipso facto which necessitated the urgency with which MHA took the decision. In this context Defense Brotherhood demanded that white paper be issued both by MHA and state govt, giving details of intruders with captured arms, ammunition, equipment and narcotics etc., within the 15km of IB and beyond. Also, action taken against the anti-national forces be highlighted.
Brig. Kahlon agreed with the negative impact indicated by Mr. Gurbachan Jagat, who has been SSP Amritsar for 4 years, DG BSF, DG J&K Police, Former Governor Manipur and also Chairman UPSC. He highlighted in his article carried by an English Daily, that lack of consultation between center and state govts. has been the main cause of conflict which will generate lot of fear amongst the residence & devotees visiting the religionist places.
From the details given by IG BSF, it is evident that the BSF has been given some additional powers under CPC, for the first time since 1969. Hence, re-thinking by MHA will be in the interest of Punjab. Meeting was also addressed by Col. Parminder Singh Randhawa, Dr. Khushal Singh and former SGPC member Amarinder Singh & others.
Brig. KS Kahlon President AIDB (Pb Chapter)
