JOIN USThe objections raised by nine non-Congress chief ministers, including Mamata Banerjee, whose party is a part of the central government, to the creation of a National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) are ill-conceived and motivated.
The chief ministers have written to the Prime Minister seeking withdrawal of the decision on the ground that the NCTC’s operational charter is violative of federal relations and would encroach upon the powers of the states.
The Centre had earlier this month notified the setting up of the NCTC which is expected to function as a co-ordinating agency to prevent terrorist attacks, contain them and respond to them swiftly and effectively. The idea of setting up such an agency was widely accepted after the Mumbai terrorist attack of 2008 and it is modelled after a similar body in the US which is working well. No state government in the US has opposed the working of the agency there.
The main grouse of the states which have opposed the plan is that the search, seizure and arrest powers provided to the NCTC would be exercised without the consent of the states and perhaps to harass them. They feel that the Centre would misuse the agency to interfere in law and order situations which are in the realm of their powers. But the charge is contrived, politically inspired and hypocritical.
Most of the opposing chief ministers belong to the BJP which has always wanted more powers for the Centre and stronger bodies, laws and procedures to deal with terrorism. Other chief ministers have in the past been part of the BJP-led NDA. They are now politicizing the plans to fight terrorism, without taking a national view of it.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had even supported the idea in the past. Her volte face now is opportunistic and is in line with the recent obstructionist positions she took on issues like the Lokpal bill and FDI in retail.
The Trinamool Congress enjoys power, being part of the government, and is conducting itself as an opposition party on important issues. It is unfortuante that the chief ministers refuse to rise above narrow politics even on serious issues like terrorism. Home minister Chidambaram is right in stating that internal security is a shared responsibility of the Centre and the states. It is the recalcitrant chief ministers who should withdraw their objections and endorse the idea of an effective counter-terrorism agency which is national interest.