Bengal on Tuesday became the second state after Punjab to have a resolution passed in its Assembly against the Union home ministry’s decision to expand the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force from 15km to 50km inside Indian territory from the international borders.

The resolution, moved as a motion by the ruling Trinamul, was opposed by the 63 MLAs of the BJP who showed up. Hence, 112 votes were cast for the motion and 63 votes went against it.

“The attempt to expand the BSF’s jurisdiction is against the BSF Act and it violates the federal structure. The Supreme Court has said paramilitary forces such as the BSF in any state has to be deployed based on discussion with the state in question, which wasn’t done… The Constitution states law and order is a state subject… the decision violates the Constitution,” state parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee told journalists after the day’s proceedings in the House. He said if this decision is enforced, 11 districts of the state will go almost entirely under the ambit of the BSF. “A lion’s share of north Bengal and 37 per cent of Bengal’s entire territory will go under the jurisdiction of the central agency. This means the Centre’s decision is an attempt to impose central rule on vast swathes of the state, through the backdoor, which we vehemently protest,” he said.

If the decision is enforced, 32,400sqkm out of the state’s total area of 88,752sqkm would go under the central agency.

Inside the Assembly, BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari had said BSF’s jurisdiction should be enhanced to 80km inside international borders in Bengal to prevent the entry of “anti-national” elements.

Dinhata’s MLA

Trinamul’s Dinhata MLA Udayan Guha, who won the October 30 bypoll with the highest margin in an Assembly election in Bengal, on Tuesday alleged that BSF jawans inappropriately touch women in Bengal’s bordering areas, triggering an uproar from BJP MLAs. BJP members claimed Guha had insulted both women and the BSF.

The face-off between the treasury and Opposition benches went on for about five minutes, during which Guha also allegedly threatened to break the BJP’s Cooch Behar MLA Mihir Goswami’s leg. Speaker Biman Banerjee warned Guha against impropriety in the House.