NCTC row: Chidambaram writes letter to CMs

After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home minister P Chidambaram, Friday, wrote letters to 10 chief ministers in the move to appease them for setting-up of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in the states.

In his letter, Chidambaram has reportedly written that terrorism is the biggest threat to India and it was the shared responsibility of both centre and states to counter terrorism jointly.

"All of us are agreed that terrorism is a grave threat to our country which we all have to deal with."

Home Minister has written the letters to all chief ministers who are against the centre's policy of setting up NCTC in their states without the consent of states. The Chief Minister of Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and West Bengal have opposed the ambitious project of Chidambaram and have sought Prime Minister's intervention in this matter.

The six chief ministers including West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee, Bihar's Nitish Kumar, Gujarat's Narendra Modi and Orissa's Naveen Patnik had written letters to Prime Minister asking him to halt the program or to sought a medium way that needs the consent of states too.

Prime Minister on Tuesday in this response replied to CMs and assured that he would ask home minister to address all their serious concerns.

However, he neither indicates that power of the NCTC would be reviewed nor the proposal, which is scheduled to come in force from March 01, would be halted.

Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday met Prime Minister in this regard, and asked him to interfere in this matter, which (according to her) breeches the rights of the state.

Following the direction of Prime Minister, Chidambaram today informed the CMs that he had asked the Home Secretary to hold consultations with all the DGPs and heads of anti-terror organisations.

"The PM has expressed concern. This is an issue of national importance and I will be happy to receive comments from the state governments on the issue," he added.

According to proposed NCTC project, an anti counter terrorism centre will be set up in every state that will have the right search, seize and arrest to any doubtful person without taking the confidence of state's government, administration or even local police. The NCTC will be kept under internal intelligence agency Intelligence Bureau.

The states have opposed the move to the government in giving so much power.