Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the BSF should work in an impartial manner while reminding them that there could be a change of guard at the Centre, the sermon coming a dayafter she had accused the force of playing a partisan role during the polls in bordering areas.

“I don’t say that all those who serve in BSF are bad. I only want them to work impartially and in an independent manner. (Narendra) Modi is in power today but will not be there forever but the BSF will continue to protect our borders. Instead of resorting to highhandedness, they should work with local people and not against them,” said Mamata, while speaking at a public meeting in Kranti of Jalpaiguri.

During her rally in Cooch Behar on Monday, a district on the Bangladesh border, the chief minister had vehemently criticized the BSF accusing that the force was killing people without any provocation. She went on to tell the audience that they should guard themselves properly as the force may be used to intimidate people ahead of the rural polls.

Mamata, who has time and again raised questions over the BSF’s alleged highhandedness, had also passed strict instructions to the police to take steps against the security force if it acts beyond its jurisdiction of protecting the borders.

The Centre’s decision to increase BSF’s jurisdiction from 15 kilometres to 50 kilometres from the borders will not be accepted in Bengal, she had stressed.

Today, she announced that a family member of all those who have died due to BSF’s firing near the borders will be provided with a job.

“We always stand by families in distress. In Malbazar, there was a flash flood last year and we helped the affected families with a job and cash. It has also been decided that we will give a job and compensation of two lakhs to each such family who has lost their near and dear ones due to BSF’s firing,” said Mamata.

The chief minister’s yesterday’s remarks drew a rebuttal from the force. In a statement issued by the Guwahati frontier of the BSF – most parts of the Indo-Bangla border in Cooch Behar come under this frontier – the force termed the allegations as “totally baseless and far from the truth.”

“The BSF is a professional force that guards the border and has never intimidated the border population or voters at the border for any reason. The force is responsible to prevent smuggling and other illegal activities at the border,” said the statement.

It also mentioned that BSF wants a peaceful and unhindered electoral process on the border and in other areas.

“Also, the BSF personnel are deployed for election duty and they work under the supervision of the local administration,” the statement said.

Representatives of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum), which is based in Serampore, however, echoed Mamata.

“The chief minister’s statement is an acknowledgement on the part of the state about atrocities by the BSF. We thank her for the remarks and believe the Bengal government must take appropriate steps in this regard,” said Kirity Roy, secretary, Masum.

Additional reporting by our Cooch Behar correspondent