Centre ready to work with states to firmly tackle terror: PM

New Delhi, Apr 16: Reaching out to states complaining over NCTC, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today favoured joint and coordinated efforts to deal with challenges of terrorism, whatever its origin, whether internal or external.

"There is no question that the burden of the fight against terrorism falls largely on the states' machinery. The Centre is ready to work with the states to put in place strong and effective institutional mechanisms to tackle this problem," he said.

The Prime Minister, who inaugurated the annual conference of Chief Ministers on internal security, did not dwell on the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre, saying it will be discussed on May 5 in a separate meeting as suggested by some Chief Ministers.

Non-Congress Chief Ministers as also UPA ally Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee have raised objections to the provisions in the NCTC, contending that it will upset the federal structure and encroach on the powers of the states.

The Prime Minister warned that threats from terrorism, left wing extremism, religious fundamentalism and ethnic violence persist in the country. "These challenges demand constant vigilance on our part. They need to be tackled firmly but with sensitivity. The forces behind them must not only be contained but should also be effectively rolled back," he said.

"Like other internal security matters, we need joint and coordinated efforts to deal with the challenge of terrorism, whatever be its origin, whether internal or external, and whatever its motivation," Singh said. Seeking a "holistic" approach in tackling the problem, he said, "This is a struggle in which we cannot relax.

When we see turbulence in the region and growing factors of instability around us, we must strengthen our defences against terrorism." Singh said, "today, terrorist groups are nimble, more lethal than ever and increasingly networked across frontiers."

PTI