New Delhi:
Home Minister P Chidambaram has defended the contentious new anti-terror agency that has pitted the centre against state governments. Non-Congress states say that the National Counter Terrorism Centre in its current form encroaches upon law and order, which is the turf of state governments.
"I believe NCTC is an absolute necessity; I do not believe it violates the federal structure," said Home Minister P Chidambaram in the Lok Sabha today.
The NCTC was meant to become operational on March 1 but was delayed after 10 chief ministers wrote to the PM with fierce objections. Among them was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a senior member of the UPA coalition at the centre. The Group of 10 said that the NCTC's powers to conduct searches for suspects anywhere in the country and arrest them without the state police's involvement is a violation of the rights of state governments. The PM then wrote back to them promising a process of dialogue.
To engage with state governments, the Home Secretary RK Singh met with senior police officers and bureaucrats from all states yesterday. The Indian Express carried an article today that reported that they were told not to act as "stenographers" of their governments in their criticism of the NCTC. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj took strong offense to this. Mr Chidambaram said the report was incorrect.
The Home Minister is expected to meet with all chief ministers in April to continue the dialogue about the NCTC.