Punjab: CM writes to PM, seeks review of MHA proposal to reduce licensed firearms

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking review of the proposal of Union Home Ministry to reduce the number of firearms permissible on a license.

Urging the Center to review its proposal to amend the Arms Act, 1959, Singh said that if some states are keen to reduce the number of weapons from the current permissible limit, they may be allowed to do so without prejudice to the other states.

According to an official statement, the Chief Minister has pointed out in the letter that he had personally raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Punjab for the opening of the Kartarpur corridor.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab government was in agreement with most of the proposed amendments but had strong reservations regarding restricting the number of firearms a licensee can possess -- from three to one.

He stressed that Punjab being a border state and having gone through a long period of terrorist violence, a large number of people possess more than one firearm and many farmers, who reside away from the villages in their agricultural lands, farms, also possess firearms for crop protection.

The Chief Minister has also stated in the letter that only a very small fraction of crime was committed using licensed weapons. These facts, he said, could be independently ascertained as they were within the domain of the MHA.

Singh observed that restricting the number of firearms permissible on a license from three to one may not be of much help for control of crimes.

On the contrary, a large number of people would be inconvenienced by way of the surrender of additional weapons and the farming community would also be deprived of weapons meant for crop protection, added Chief Minister Singh.