Kolkata: As the West Bengal government tabled a resolution in the Assembly on Tuesday against the Centre’s decision to expand the Border Security Force’s (BSF) jurisdiction in the state as well as in Punjab and Assam, a comment by Trinamool Congress legislator, Udayan Guha about the border guards organisation’s personnel prompted ruckus in the Assembly. The resolution was passed by a majority of 112 to 63 votes.
While participating in the discussion on the resolution, Guha said that the BSF personnel had been touching the private parts of the women in front of their children in the border areas in the name of search and frisking. “They are forcing the men to do sit-ups holding their ears in front of their sons and daughters. No matter how much they chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki jai’ they are not patriots,” Guha said.
This comment irked the BJP legislators then present on the floor of the house and they started protesting against the comment. As the other Trinamool Congress MLAs started shouting in support of Guha, who continued with his allegations against BSF personnel, total pandemonium prevailed in the house. The speaker Biman Bandopadhyay tried to pacify both sides and appealed to the legislators to maintain the sanctity of the house. However, the ruckus continued.
As the BJP legislators kept on shouting, Guha said that after the barbed fences at the borders were constructed it was impossible even to smuggle cattle through these borders. “Even after that if smuggling and illegal immigration continue it is clear that the smugglers are enjoying the patronage of the BSF personnel," said Guha.
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He said that currently, 65 blocks in 10 districts are under BSF. “No one can imagine the extent of torture these BSF personnel resort to. BSF is acting as an agent of BJP,” he said.
That was the trigger point of the ruckus. Protesting against Guha’s comments, senior BJP legislator, Mihir Goswami shouted that Trinamool Congress is the agent of the killers of BSF personnel.
Earlier, senior Trinamool Congress legislator Tapas Roy, while participating in the discussion, said that Trinamool Congress will not allow the extension of BSF’s area jurisdiction at any cost. “We will not allow the BSF to enter the added areas. We will not allow the Union government to interfere in state subjects,” he said. He also said that had BJP won over 200 seats in the last West Bengal assembly elections, the union government would not have issued the notification extending BSF’s area jurisdiction.
BJP legislator Deepak Burman said that in West Bengal there is no rule of law. “Rather the state is dominated by the ruler’s law and hence the state government is scared of BSF’s increased area jurisdiction. So Tapas Ray is claiming that they will prevent BSF at any cost,” he said.
Sreerupa Mitra Chowdhury, another BJP legislator, said that narcotics smuggling has reached an alarming stage in the border areas. “I do not understand why the ruling party is scared. BSF has the power to arrest. But they hand over the accused to the state police within 24 hours. The ruling party is trying to mislead the house,” she said.
