TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu joins anti-NCTC chorus

Hyderabad, Feb 17 (ANI): Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday demanded the repeal of a recent order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the power of the newly constituted National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

Naidu joined West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in raising concerns about the powers given to the proposed NCTC, which they claimed would infringe on the federal structure and the rights of state governments.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Naidu said the Government of India had vested "all-encompassing and sweeping powers in the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and in the Intelligence Bureau (IB), thus violating the federal spirit of the Constitution".

"I have written a letter to Prime Minister. It is unfortunate. Ours is a federal structuret is a setback for cooperative federalism. I have demanded immediate cancellation," Naidu told media here.

"They should have at least consulted all political parties. Governmnet of India cannot do such things .We will discuss with others also," he added.

Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress is a part of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), had earlier written to the Prime Minister, and asked the government to review and withdraw the executive order on the NCTC.

Patnaik too wrote the Prime Minister on February 13, opposing the powers to the newly constituted NCTC.

"I have written a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister opposing the powers given to the NCTC," Patnaik said.

The main task of the NCTC would be to ensure that the wide variety of security organisations in the country work in tandem, at least on issues related to terrorism.

It will also have the power to seek information, including documents, reports, transcripts, and cyber information from any agency, including from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency, National Technical Research Organization, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and all seven central armed police forces including the National Security Guard (NSG).

The body, which will function under the Intelligence Bureau, has been given its own operational wing with powers to arrest and conduct searches under Section 43A of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. (ANI)