New Delhi:
Chief Ministers from across the country are meeting for a conference on internal security in the national capital today. At the meeting, the government is attempting to hard sell a diluted version of the proposed anti-terror body, the National Counter Terrorism Centre or NCTC.
Here are some key points put forward by some political leaders:
P Chidambaram, Finance Minister:
- "NCTC has been removed from the Intelligence Bureau. We have also modified some of its powers. I deeply regret that some chief ministers oppose the NCTC even in its present form. There is no nayi-nayi (new, new) agency. We are not creating multiplicity of agencies. We are not creating multiplicity of agencies." (Watch video)
Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister- "The Prime Minister and the Home Minister did not speak on NCTC. But it was on agenda and I would like to speak on it. I feel that making new institutions destabilises system. I made a very grave allegation today. That they talk of national security but their actions are of political security. The formation of new institutions is to serve this purpose. The Centre has no faith in state governments. I also said that the government is constantly weakening the federal structure.
- All states work together with the Centre but the Big Brother attitude adopted by the central government is not good."
- "It is not clear how big it (NCTC) is going to be, what forces are going to comprise it, how exactly it is going to function and which statute will it derive its powers from. I think such poorly conceived ideas which tinker with age old existing systems rather than strengthening them are going to do irreparable loss to our internal security apparatus."
- "The proposed NCTC will be just another superstructure in the maze of institutions already existing."
Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Chief Minister- "Some safeguards are necessary before setting up the NCTC so that it is not given unbridled powers to encroach upon states' domain. As envisaged by the Union government, the National Counter-Terrorism Centre will have to involve multi-dimensional intelligence gathering and an action planning agency. Earlier efforts of containing terrorist activities by the existing organisation for intelligence networking have proved inadequate and ineffective.
- "In principle, the government of Karnataka has recognized the importance of data and intelligence sharing, planning of anti-terrorist activities including activities that are aimed at preventing, disabling or even tackling a terrorist attack in progress and the need for coordination between state and central agencies and sometimes police of other states and even international agencies."(Read)
Raman Singh, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister- "We are opposed to the NCTC in its present state. We want that if the NCTC comes into existence, it should respect the federal structure of our Constitution. The participation of states in the NCTC should not get reflected only on paper.
- "To make it effective and useful the state's role should be ratified by Parliament. In the present proposed NCTC an executive order may lead to duplication at the state level. We hope that NCTC will not be entrusted with powers that have not been given under the NIA Act 2008 and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967."
- "We had also opposed the NCTC because it was proposed to be a body under the Intelligence Bureau. This would have affected the working of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and led to public scrutiny of several intelligence matters. (Read)
Prithviraj Chavan, Maharashtra Chief Minister- "Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the proposed draft order require further examination to understand the implications of these provisions on operational efficacy and clarity on respective roles in such joint operations.
Nitish Kumar, Bihar Chief Minister- "Firstly what is the use of creating an operation division within NCTC and giving powers of conducting such operations, if such operations are to be conducted either through or in conjunction with state police."
- "The better option would be to strengthen and develop NIA than to create another organisation. If the Centre still considers it expedient to form an organisation like the NCTC, then it should be done through legislation in Parliament which will ensure a wider debate over the subject."(Read)