New Delhi, October 15
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national spokesperson and Punjab Affairs co-incharge Raghav Chadha today held Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi equally responsible for the Centre’s decision to hand over control of approximately 27,600 sq km of Punjab to the Border Security Force (BSF).
He said Channi had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah a few days ago, and asked the Centre to take strict action to curb the high incidence of arms and drug trafficking on the International Border with Pakistan, giving as reason to the Centre to occupy 50 per cent of Punjab.
Raising questions, Chadha asked CM Channi to explain “why this was done? Indirectly, he let imposition of President’s rule. Indirectly, control of 12 of the 23 districts was handed over to the BJP government. The BJP knows that it can never form a government in Punjab, so why not half of Punjab be ruled indirectly through the BSF.” Chadha said, “The decision to increase the jurisdiction of the checkpoint from 15 km to 50 km along the IB for the BSF to search, arrest suspects and seize under the Passport Act, NDPS Act and Customs Act is not a matter of national security, but of national politics. The Channi government of Punjab has colluded with the BJP government at the Centre on this issue.”
Chadha also raised question on the decision to increase the range of BSF by 35 km in Punjab and reducing it by 30 km in Gujarat. He alleged it was an attempt to intimidate the people of Punjab by handing over such a unilateral decision before the elections. — TNS
AAP targets Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi
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