Convene CMs' meeting on NCTC: Jayalalithaa

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene a meeting of Chief Ministers for exclusively discussing the issue of establishing the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

Reiterating her opposition to the NCTC and calling upon Dr. Singh to keep in abeyance its formation, Ms. Jayalalilthaa, in her letter to the Prime Minister, stated: “The views of various Chief Ministers will have to be given due consideration and a purposeful discussion on counter terrorism should be made possible.”

On the Union Home Secretary's meeting on March 12 with Chief Secretaries/Home Secretaries and Director Generals of Police of all the States, she recalled that the States had strongly objected to the move.

Even Congress-ruled States had stated that the NCTC, in its present proposed form, could not be carried forward.

She said that despite her reservations, she had requested her officers to attend the meeting.

Quoting information furnished to Ms. Jayalalithaa, the Union Home Secretary had, at the meeting, clarified that the office memorandum on the NCTC had not been withdrawn. Therefore, this was deemed to have come into effect from March 1.

“It is surprising that, against this background, a meeting of Chief Ministers has been convened on April 16, 2012, to discuss various matters relating to internal security. Among those issues listed for discussion, the subject of NCTC also figures as one of the items. It is indeed unfortunate that, without taking into consideration the views and sentiments of various State Chief Ministers, the constitution of the NCTC is sought to be steamrollered into existence,” she added.