Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) Even as he expressed happiness over the changes in the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi maintained that it was an attack on the federal structure.

Addressing a meeting of chief ministers presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Modi asked if faith in “constitutional arrangements and center-state relationship in a federal structure” has been lost.

This, he said, would be “eroding the capabilities of state police”.

The NCTC bill was tweaked by the central government to give more powers to states after most non-Congress chief ministers raised objections at an earlier April 16 meeting with the prime minister.

Modi said he was “happy the request has been acceded to”.

He, however, maintained that NCTC was an attack on federalism.

“In a vast and diverse country like ours, the state governments must be strengthened and supported in the fight against terror. What we have witnessed is a systematic attempt to weaken the state governments and to centralise powers in the union government,” Modi said.

He rubbished the government’s argument that the proposed anti-terror body was on the lines of similar bodies in the US and Britain.

“We claim to draw inspiration from initiatives in USA and UK… however while these nations were strengthening themselves and sending a strong signal of robust will to fight terror, we were busy repealing existing anti-terror laws like POTA,” he said.