Mamata, Nitish, Jaya slam UPA over terror body

Kolkata, Feb 17: In a major threat to the UPA, the four West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have joined hands to oppose special powers to the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and blamed the government with encroaching on the federal powers of the state.

The UPA is likely to hold a core committee meeting in the later part of the day to discuss the issue.

Mamata wrote a letter to Prime minister Manmohan Singh in this regard which was circulated on Thursday, Feb 16.

She termed the set up of the NCTC as an infringement on federal rights of the states adding that, "Any decision which infringes power and rights of the state governments should be taken after adequate consultation and with the consent of the states."

"It will be difficult for the State Government to accept such arbitrary exercise of powers by the Centre which have bearing on the rights and privileges of the state as enshrined in the Constitution," she said.

Pointing out at the anti-terror agency, Naveen Patnaik said that the power vested in it is appearing as an infringement on the powers of state governments in matters of law and order.

He had requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to review the matter before the operation of NCTC from Mar 1.

OneIndia News