Mamata Banerjee meets PM Modi, raises BSF jurisdiction

NEW DELHI: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, at her meeting with PM Modi in Delhi on Wednesday, raised a host of Centre-state administrative and political issues and invited him to inaugurate next year’s Bengal Global Business Summit, which he has “accepted”.
After the meeting, the Trinamool chief said that she asked the PM to withdraw the order on extending the jurisdiction of BSF in border states since “it would disturb the local law and order situation within the state due to confrontations between central and state law and order agencies”. She said, “We are not against BSF or central agencies, but it is a question of federalism.”
The state’s interest must be kept in mind. If you have to secure the border, state will help the Centre with additional forces… There should be a meeting and the order should be revoked,” she said.
Banerjee said she raised the issue of violence in Tripura with the PM and urged him to “see to it” that such inci- dents do not happen. When asked about the farmers’ pro- tests, the TMC chief said she was with them on the MSP (minimum support price) issue.
“I want a legislation on MSP to be passed,” she said. Banerjee said she would be working with regional parties to take on BJP in the upcoming state elections and would be happy to help as a campaigner for “friendly parties like Samajawadi Party” in Uttar Pradesh.
“In Goa, our party is al- ready there, in other states I will be going whenever my party decides,” she added.
Banerjee said that she would be in Mumbai to attend an industry summit on De- cember 1, during which she “will meet Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackaray- ji and Sharad Pawar-ji”.
She also raised the issue of the Centre’s dues to her state, which stands at Rs 96,655 crore. The PM has assured he will look into this, she said.