M A I N   N E W S

Mamata, 6 other Oppn CMs oppose anti-terror body
Say setting up of NCTC violates the principles of federalism
Anita Katyal
Our Political Correspondent

New Delhi, February 17
Key ally Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s growing proximity to the BJP and other non-Congress political players has emerged as a fresh source of concern for the UPA government.

In the latest move, Mamata joined hands with six Opposition chief ministers to oppose the constitution of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) on the plea that it violates the principles of federalism. She has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh objecting to the special powers being given to the NCTC and asked him to “review and withdraw “ the decision.

“It’s is difficult for the state government to accept such arbitrary exercise of power by the Central government/Central agency, which will have a bearing on the rights and privilege of the states as enshrined in the Constitution of India,” she wrote.

Similar letters have been sent by Chief Ministers Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), J.Jayalalithaa (Tamil Nadu) and Narendra Modi (Gujarat) who have objected to the fact that the Centre had not consulted state governments on this issue. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan and P.K.Dhumal, respectively, have also opposed the creation of the anti-terror body which, they said, will encroach on the federal powers of the states.

While the Centre’s immediate task is to see that its ambitious plans to set up the NCTC are not thwarted, it is Mamata Banerjee’s growing tendency to align with non-UPA political players which has really got the UPA government worried as its survival is critically dependent on the TMC’s 22 Lok Sabha MPs.

More importantly, Mamata’s move comes at a time when Naveen Patnaik has been speaking about the presence of a third political front at the national level. Indicating that his party is in favour of leading such a formation, the BJD supremo contacted Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalithaa to seek their support in opposing the NCTC which, he believes, could lay the foundation for greater bonding between the different regional parties and ultimately coalesce into a political front.

On its part, Congress spokesperson Renuka Chaudhary maintained that they will resolve all outstanding issues with their allies through dialogue but also underlined that everybody had a collective responsibility to fight terror and there should be no compromise on security matters. She, however, dismissed Naveen Patnaik's idea of a Third Front, saying it was aware of the fate such a proposition had met in the past.

With relations between the Congress and the TMC on the decline, Mamata has used every opportunity to thumb her nose at the Centre. Much to the embarrassment of the UPA, she had joined the BJP-led NDA in opposing the Lokpal Bill. Similarly, the West Bengal Chief Minister had surprised the ruling combine when she agreed with the BJP’s objections to the Communal Violence Bill when it came up for discussion at last year’s meeting of National Integration Council. Mamata was also on the same page as the opposition on allowing FDI in retail trade, which forced the Centre to backtrack on this key policy decision.