Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing the “National Counter Terrorism Centre (Organisation functions Powers and Duties) Order 2012” issued by the Home Ministry (MHA) even as Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram urged Reang refugees in Tripura to return to their villages and homes in Mizoram.
Mr. Sarkar wrote that the order amounted to “an encroachment upon the powers of the States” and requested Dr. Singh to advise Mr. Chidambaram to withdraw the NCTC order and to initiate a process of wider consultation with all the States to evolve an appropriate mechanism for effectively dealing with the menace of terrorism in the country.
“Considering that ‘Public Order' and ‘Police' is a State subject under the Constitution of India, this action of the MHA amounts to an encroachment upon the powers of the States. What is unfortunate and surprising is that while the issues are very much related to the States, the very order has been issued without any consultation with the State Governments,” Mr. Sarkar wrote.
Mr. Sarkar said it was the Centre's duty to preserve the federal structure of the country. “I am pained to mention that of late there has been a trend to violate this basic structure of our Constitution, which needs to be discouraged,” the CM said. “The unilateral order issued by the MHA will only create misunderstanding between the Centre and the States and will defeat the very purpose for which it has been issued.”
Mr. Sarkar said terrorism was brought under control in Tripura through the proactive efforts made by the State with the support of the peace-loving people of the State and the Centre.
