CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday hit out at the proposed amendments to the BSF Act saying, “the provisions of the amendments smack of a desire to smuggle in a mechanism inspired by the same goals as those behind the setting up of an operations division in the NCTC, through the back door.”The CM, in a letter to the PM, said the proposed amendments should be discussed at the Chief Ministers’ conference scheduled for May 5 in New Delhi to deliberate on the NCTC. “No further action on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on BSF Act may be taken till the views of the Chief Ministers are heard and the way forward, finalised. I look forward to an early reply in the matter,” she said.The amendment proposes to empower the paramilitary force to search and arrest any person in any part of the country.Jayalalithaa recalled that the supplementary agenda notes on the BSF Act amendments reached her only on the day of the CMs’ conference on internal security held at Delhi on April 16 and as such, she could not express her views on the amendments at the conference.Categorically disapproving the manner in which the issue was sought to be introduced as a supplementary agenda item, the CM said the Rajya Sabha members as early as on March 29, reque-sted that the subject be discussed at the CMs’ conference. “With more than two weeks at their disposal, I am surprised that the Ministry of Home Affairs had proposed this as a supplementary agenda item,” she said.The CM said the April 16 conference of CMs ended optimistically with the Union Home Ministry agreeing to step back in areas concerning public order and police. She expressed confidence that meaningful discussions would be recorded and action taken in a manner consistent with the sentiments expressed by the CMs.
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