But MP's Bill awaits Presidential nod

ON THE TERROR TRAIL

When Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, he asked him why the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was continuing to dither on approving the anti-terror law passed by the state Assembly last year.

Chouhan’s logic was simple: when the Centre is in the process of arming itself with legal powers to fight terrorism, how could it deny the state its right to have similar measures.

Chouhan, who had scored an impressive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state, had come to meet Singh after being sworn in as chief minister. Besides seeking Centre’s help in development projects in the state, Chouhan took the occasion to raise the issue of pending Presidential approval for the Madhya Pradesh Terrorism, Organised Crimes and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Bill, 2007.

Chouhan claimed that although the PM told him that a slew of anti-terrorism laws were in the offing for the entire country in the wake of Mumbai attacks, he insisted “that our Act be also approved”.

“I told the PM that the all-India law may be fine but we need a law for our state,” he said.

According to Chouhan, the PM finally assured him that he would put his demand before the Cabinet and “consider it seriously”.

Sources said after Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, another BJP-ruled state that has framed a strong anti-terror law but is yet to get a nod from the Centre, other BJP-ruled states are likely to raise a similar demand soon.