With the Sangh Parivar keen on stopping illegal transport of cows across the border for slaughtering, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asked the Border Security Force (BSF) to end the activity along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
Addressing the 49th Raising Day function and launching of Golden Jubilee celebrations, Singh said the BSF “has to work” on many areas ranging from stopping infiltration and illegal migration from Bangladesh to dealing with narcotics and fake currency notes.
“I also want to tell BSF personnel and officers that you should stop the smuggling of cows on the Indo-Bangladesh border at any cost. If you are doing that already, I compliment you for that,” Singh said.
There were several complaints against the BSF that some of its personnel were facilitating cow smuggling for slaughtering in Bangladesh after taking money and the Sangh Parivar led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had raised the issue earlier.
The BSF guards the 4,096 km Indo-Bangla border and there is a large patch of area which is yet to be fenced. Of the 3,326.14 km which was to be fenced, only 2,827.92 km is complete as on March 31, 2014.
The Home Ministry has said delay in land acquisition by West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram governments, public protest, delay in forest clearances, difficult terrain and prolonged monsoon are the reasons for non-completion of fencing.
Singh praised the BSF for giving a befitting reply when Pakistan violated ceasefire. Till October 31, there were 152 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in which 13 civilians and two security personnel were killed and 115 injured.
“You showed a lot of patience during these ceasefire violations despite Pakistan provoking and doing repeated violations. It is because of your hard work that no one can cast its evil eye on India. You have a glint of patriotism on your faces today,” he said.
On the sidelines of the function, he told reporters that the security forces had devised “plans” to stop and check terrorist activities and these measures were also discussed during the recently held conference of the top police brass of the country in Guwahati. Singh also ruled out further arrests in connection with the Islamic State issue.
