Centre undecided as Mamata, Jaya, Modi oppose NCTC

PTI

New Delhi, 05 May 2012: Key UPA ally Mamata Banerjee today led a host of chief ministers in opposing NCTC, stating that there is no need for such a body while other non-Congress ruled states alleged it violates the federal structure and demanded drastic changes in the proposed law.

 

"NCTC will destroy the federal structure as it is contradictory to federal system. I urge the government to withdraw it," Banerjee told reporters.

 

She maintained that formation of NCTC - that too through an executive order without taking the states into confidence - has sent across the message that the Centre is trying to impose something on the states.

 

"Law and order is a state subject. Both the Centre and the states must work together," she said.

 

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi insisted that almost all the big states had opposed the formation of NCTC and even those who endorsed it had certain reservations.

 

"I request the government not to make this a prestige issue... It should roll back NCTC immediately," Modi said.

 

He demanded a White Paper from the government on the efforts it was making in controlling arms-lending from across the border, hawala transfer of funds to help terrorists, cross-border terrorism, extradition of terrorists and the interception of communication of terrorists and Naxals.

 

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa demanded that the Centre form a sub-committee of chief ministers to look into the NCTC issue. Her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik endorsed the view and said Jayalalithaa should head the sub-committee.

 

Stiff opposition

 

The Centre was today faced with stiff opposition from non-UPA chief ministers on the issue of proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) who termed it as intrusion in states’ powers.

 

The charge was led by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa which found support from other chief ministers of BJP and opposition ruled states on the proposed central agency.

 

"Piecemeal approach with disjointed efforts will not lead us to the desired goal. Without comprehensively reviewing our past efforts and actions we would go on creating agencies and organisations and yet fail to achieve the purpose", Modi said during the conference.

 

Accusing the Centre of changing the "well-defined and constitutionally mandated" boundaries of Centre-state relations, he said there was a disturbing sequence of events in the recent past which revealed "centralist and autocratic mindset that militates against all canons of federalism."

 

Launching an all-round attack on the home ministry headed by her bete noire P Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa alleged that Tamil Nadu was being shown "utter contempt" by the Centre, which did not even send a copy of the order setting up the National Counter-Terrorism Centre.

 

Speaking at the chief ministers’ conference chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the chief minister said the proposed NCTC needs a "total overhaul" and suggested setting up of a smaller sub-committee of chief ministers.

 

"The NCTC, as has now been notified, should be kept in abeyance, as already advocated by me in my letter to the Prime Minister earlier, till the sub-committee of chief ministers gives its report," Jayalalithaa said.

 

"As a matter of fact, any discussion on NCTC is infructuous as long as the notification of NCTC is in force," Jayalalithaa said.

 

Meeting fails to break logjam

 

The Centre today failed to break the logjam on the controversial anti-terror body National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) with non-Congress chief ministers stoutly opposing and some of them demanding its withdrawal.

 

At the end of the day-long conference in which Mamata Banerjee and Narendra Modi asked the Centre to drop the proposal while Jayalalithaa said it should be kept in abeyance, there was uncertainty as to when the NCTC would come into operation.

 

Home minister P Chidambaram parried questions on a timeline for implementing his pet project that has been kept on hold ever since non-Congress chief ministers raised strong opposition saying it cut at the root of the states powers and destroyed the federal fabric.

 

He said he was "leaving the meeting with an open mind" and the government would take a decision on concerns of the chief ministers over locating the NCTC in the Intelligence Bureau and undertaking operations even in exceptional cases.

 

"I firmly believe that we need a counter-terrorism body. Whether its is NCTC or some other body, whether it will have these powers or some other powers or functions is a matter that can be debated but certainly we need a counter-terrorism body.

 

"I have assured them that all their suggestions would be most carefully and anxiously considered," he said.

 

The non-Congress chief ministers opposition came notwithstanding appeals from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram for a broad consensus.

 

Even Congress ally National Conference voiced reservations over the NCTC in its present form saying it makes it as stringent as the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act.