'Autonomy' of state police should stop at state borders: Chidambaram

New Delhi, May 7

Former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday attacked both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party for misusing the police force.

Chidambaram's comments came in the wake of the arrest and release of BJP leader Tejinder Bagga in which the police of three states were involved.

Chidambaram said, "This was bound to happen some day. The confrontation between Punjab, Delhi and Haryana police is an example of what lies in store in the future... the police serving their respective political masters will lead to the ultimate breakdown of federalism that is already in peril."

"I had warned when the Assam police arrested Jignesh Mevani, Independent MLA from Gujarat, for a tweet posted in Gujarat! The 'autonomy' of each state police force must stop at the border of another state and the police of the first state must take the consent of the other state. Otherwise, federalism will be dead and buried," he added.

Delhi Police on Friday took Bagga's custody from its Punjab counterparts and later released him after legal process.

Earlier, Delhi Police had lodged two cases against Punjab Police in connection with Bagga's arrest.

The Punjab Police, while taking Bagga to Mohali from Delhi, was stopped midway by the Haryana Police after Delhi Police registered a kidnapping case on the complaint of Bagga's father.

Haryana Police took Bagga to a police station near Kurukshetra where a team of Delhi Police arrived.