CMs’ meet on internal security to start on stormy note

The chief ministers’ meet on internal security is expected to start on a stormy note on Monday with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi already posting a strong protest to PM Manmohan Singh for including Border Security Force Amendment (BSF) Bill, 2011 in the agenda of the conclave. Calling it an unwarranted move, Modi described it as yet another effort to “create a state within the state” or a “second state”. The issue is expected to be joined by other chief ministers of particularly non Congress States like Nitish Kumar of Bihar, Naveen Patnaik of Odisha and Jayalalitha of Tamil Nadu besides others.

This could act as a double blow to the full day long annual meet, which has already become listless after taking out discussion on National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) from its agenda and keeping it for a standalone discussion on May 5.

Incidentally, the government was forced to defer the BSF (Amendment) bill in the Rajya Sabha in the current budget session after being attacked by a united opposition for pushing an anti-federal law allowing deployment of BSF in interior areas. 

The controversial bill seeks to extend the legal mandate for BSF to be deployed besides border areas in the hinterland also for internal security duties. The MHA pushed for amendments after the law ministry pointed that there was no enabling provision in law for deployment of BSF personnel in locations other than border areas.