Chandigarh, Oct 13 (IANS) Slamming the Centre for amending Section 139 of the BSF Act to give the border and guarding force wider jurisdiction and terming it tantamount to an attack on federalism, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa on Wednesday asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to withdraw the decision.
Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) described the decision as Central rule in the state through the back door.
In a statement, Randhawa, who also holds the Home portfolio, said "this illogical decision was absolutely against the spirit of the raising the border guarding forces, which were required to focus on the international border and act as the first line of defence".
He said policing in the hinterland is not the role of a border guarding force, rather it would weaken the capacity of the Border Security Force (BSF) in discharging its primary duty of guarding the international border.
He said that he would personally call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister to resolve this issue.
Meanwhile, the SAD described the move to hand over almost half of the state to the BSF as "the imposition of the President's rule through the back door in nearly half of Punjab".
"This virtually turns the state into a de facto Union territory. This devious attempt to place the state directly under the Central rule must and will be opposed," senior Akali leader and former minister Daljit Singh Cheema said in a statement.
He said this was at the same time, "a frontal assault on the federal principle through highly questionable misuse of constitutional provisions".
Cheema said it was shocking the BSF has been given sweeping powers divesting the state police of even the normal policing duties.
"As per the Constitution, only the state government can call out the Central forces to aid and assist the state administration. The Centre cannot thrust these forces on the state without a formal request from the state government," he said.
The Akali leader also called upon Chief Minister Charanjit Channi to come clean on the state government's stand on the sensitive issue.
Hours after resigning from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba, here on Friday, rejoined the Congress after almost six years. Lamba arrived at Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi's residence and took the primary membership of the party.
Protein shakes have long been touted as a gym bag essential, consumed by gym-goers in an effort to boost muscle recovery and minimise post-workout muscle soreness, but they may not be the most effective way to relieve aching muscles, a new study suggests.
Pakistan's Interior Ministry has decided to add a religious tourism category to the online visa system for Sikh pilgrims looking to apply for visas to visit Kartarpur, it emerged on Friday.
A bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on April 26 had struck down a 2008 single-bench High Court court order transferring the hearing in the two cases to Srinagar. Sources said the Jammu TADA court recetly issued non-bailable warrants against Malik and asked the police to produce him before the court on September 11.
