PUNJAB: Former Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday raised questions over the state government's move to ask the Centre to "seal" the international border of the state and said Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has "unwittingly managed to hand over" half of Punjab to the Central government.

Taking to Twitter, Jakhar claimed that the move "castigated" the Punjab Police.

"Be careful what you ask for! Has Charanjit Singh Channi unwittingly managed to hand over half of Punjab to the Central govt. 25000sq km (out of a total of 50,000sq km) has now been placed under BSF jurisdiction. Punjab Police stands castigated. Do we still want more autonomy to States?" Jakhar tweeted.

Be careful what you ask for ! Has @CHARANJITCHANNI unwittingly managed to handover half of Punjab to Central govt. 25000sq km (out of total 50,000sq km) has now been placed under BSF jurisdiction. Punjab Police stands castigated. Do we still want more autonomy to States ? https://t.co/JlGB7G0Pnj

— Sunil Jakhar (@sunilkjakhar) October 13, 2021

Jakhar's tweet came after Union Home Ministry extended the area states of West Bengal, Punjab and Assam, under the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF), giving the paramilitary personnel powers of arrest, search and seizure, on par with state police.

Meanwhile, Channi has strongly 'condemned' Centre's decision.

I strongly condemn the GoI's unilateral decision to give additional powers to BSF within 50 KM belt running along the international borders, which is a direct attack on the federalism. I urge the Union Home Minister @AmitShah to immediately rollback this irrational decision.

— Charanjit S Channi (@CHARANJITCHANNI) October 13, 2021

Centre said the move was aimed at maintaining "zero tolerance" against terrorism and cross border crimes, and empowered the BSF to conduct searches, arrest suspects and make seizures up to an area of 50 km inside Indian territory from the International Border (IB) along the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.

Notably, on October 5, CM Channi had met Home Minister Amit Shah and asked him to "seal" the international border of the state to curb trafficking and weapon.