NCTC aberrate federalism: Mamata

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said," Centre of taking the country towards "autocracy" suggested a sub-committee of chief ministers be set up to go into the proposed body. Further she said there cannot be one nodal centre with powers embedded  in the Ministry of Home Affairs, HM nod first call before any counter terrorist response is undertaken. "The way things are evolving with the creation of the NIA and NCTC and the proposed amendments to the RPF Act and the BSF Act, we seem to be headed towards an autocracy consisting of a government of the Centre, by the Centre, for the Centre," J Jayalalithaa said.

Mamata Bannerjee expressed her displeasure with the Centre for taking a unilateral decision on formation of NCTC.TMC The key UPA ally and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee its Chief today said such institutions "upset" the federal structure of the country and was "not acceptable" to the state.She further said setting up of institutions like National Counter Terrorism Centre with the proposed powers of arrest and seizure upsets the federal structure of the country. We had strongly opposed and urged the central government to withdraw order on its formation."It is unfortunate that in utter disregard to these federal principles, the NCTC was set up by an executive order dated February 3, 2012 of the Union home ministry without proper consultations with the states.All such  unilateral steps of the Union government in matters which are within the ambit of the states only increases the trust-deficit between the Centre and states," Mamata said in convened meeting of chief ministers on  NCTC in New Delhi. She further suggested  a periodic meeting of chief ministers  to review the internal security situation in the country thus facilitating  "the Centre and the states can jointly work-out broad strategies to tackle terrorism". The country’s top political leadership at the Centre and in the States are holding a crucial meeting in the national capital to resolve differences over the National Counter Terrorism Centre-NCTC.

Majority of  Chief Ministers including Mamata Baenerjee, Jayalalithaa, Naveen Patnaik, Prakash Singh Badal and Narendra Modi contested on various provisions of NCTC which encroach on the ambit of the States.
 Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi while strongly demanding rollback of National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) condemned the UPA Government for damaging the trust between Union Government and States.

Speaking at the Chief Ministers’ conference convened by the Government of India under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on the issue of National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Shri Modi pointed out that Gujarat is clearly in favour of a strong comprehensive anti-terror law to combat terrorism. However, the State is not in favour of damaging democratic polity and federal structure by creating NCTC to create problems for the State Governments. It is more than obvious that NCTC is all about creating problems in the states and ferment trouble for the State Governments. He said that it is obvious that the present Union Government has hidden political agenda.

“What signals we are going to terrorists by creating a crisis of confidence between the Union Government and States? Why Union Government wants to destroy the federal structure? Why it does not trust the State Governments and its agencies? What does it want to achieve - to fight terrorism or to create crisis in States” he asked the Prime Minister.

Shri Modi further stated that in such operations there is a high probability of collateral damages. How will the NCTC tackle these consequent situations if their actions lead to counter violence, protests, agitations and problems of public order? It would be like the Union Government agencies coming and disturbing a bee-hive and leaving the state agencies to bear all the bee-stings.

Shri Modi said that this august gathering should not be converted into a debating forum rather this occasion should be used to give a clear and strong message that both the Union Government and States are together in the fight against terrorism and extremism. He said that our main priority is to combat terrorism in any form with strong political will.

The Gujarat Chief Minister while commenting on operational effectiveness of the proposed NCTC posed a question about the Union Government’s success to deal with issues like viz. infiltration, arms landing, communication, channelization of funds through havala routes and extradition of terrorists, though the Central organizations are primarily responsible for tackling these issues. He also gave an example how Gujarat Government successfully fought for extradition of a terror accused hiding in UK. He appealed to the Prime Minister to concentrate on these issues which will help in the fight against terrorism and weaken the backbone of terrorism.     

He said that States are successfully carrying out operations in nabbing the terrorists. The weak link is right intelligence input from Union Government. He said that he would like to know even a single instance where any State has not cooperated with the Union Government in carrying out operations in the field to nab the terrorists.   

Emphasizing on having faith in our constitutional arrangements and the Union – State relationship in a federal structure, he said that we should not focus on legalistic arguments, but rise above technicalities and dwell upon the larger picture of confidence–building between the Centre and states.

Criticizing the Union Government’s tendency to misuse executive machinery, Shri Modi said that the creation of NCTC when seen in the backdrop of recent events in our body-politic assumes significance as a conscious strategy to pursue certain hidden agenda. This is really “Kahin pe Nigaahen kahin pe Nishana”, he said sarcastically and mentioned the Union Home Ministry’s failure in preventing terrorist attacks in Delhi.