Chidambaram, Modi lock horns on NCTC

Hours after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at the Centre's proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) saying 'making new institutions destabilizes system', Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday responded back saying the UPA Government is not creating a multiplicity of agencies.

"There is no new-new agency. MAC (Multi Agency Centre) was announced earlier, but was not operationalised. When I took over, I found that MAC had not been operationalised. So, we passed an executive order operationalising MAC and today you have our fiercest critic, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, praising the MAC. So, that is vindication that MAC was necessary and what we have done is right," Chidambaram told mediapersons here.

"We set up NIA, now is anyone opposing NIA. You heard the chief minister of JandK thanking NIA for bringing out the truth of the Liaqat case. So, everybody wants the NIA. What are the other agencies that we have created? The only other instrument we want created is the NCTC and that is being opposed. So, there is no new-new agency. We are not creating a multiplicity of agencies," he added.

Chidambaram also rubbished the Gujarat Chief Minister's comment that the NCTC meet has become a ritual and there is no seriousness

"This is not a meeting on the NCTC. This is a meet on internal security. It is not a ritual. Many chief ministers have taken it seriously. The Karnataka Chief Minister made a very thoughtful speech, the Assam Chief Minister made a very wise speech, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister made a very responsible speech," said Chidambaram.

"To call it a ritual, it will mean that all other chief ministers are also taking it as a ritual. I think he is not doing justice to his fellow chief ministers," he added.

Chidambaram, who as the Union Home Minister had conceptualised the NCTC as a crack anti-terror hub with the right to operate, said he is disappointed that several chief ministers continue to oppose it.

"Several Chief Ministers have spoken, but I am disappointed that a couple of honourable chief ministers continue to oppose the NCTC. In every federal system that we know anywhere in the world, there are circumstances in which the federal or central police have to act," said Chidambaram.

"Terrorism is too serious a matter to be dealt with lightly and therefore every country, which is a federal system, allows its federal or central police to act in certain extraordinary circumstances," he added.

Chidambaram further said if the NCTC is opposed even in its present form, the country would have to pay a price.

"The original NCTC order was a tighter stronger order, but because of opposition from some states the government agreed to take it out of the IB and also modified the powers that are proposed to be vested in the NCTC. When even that is opposed, I am afraid it will only mean that we are not serious about fighting terrorism," said Chidambaram.

"I must caution the people that if this is the attitude we will take towards fighting terrorism, this country will bleed from time to time," he added.

Chidambaram said the kind of seriousness that should be given to the NCTC is lost.

"And, I deeply regret that a couple of chief ministers oppose the NCTC even in the present modified version," he added.

Modi earlier in the day raised concerns over the new draft on National Counter Terrorism Centre terming it a 'poorly conceived' idea, which tinkers with old ideas rather than strengthening them.

"It is not clear how big it is going to be, what forces are going to comprise it, how exactly it is going to function and which statute will it derive its powers from. I think such poorly conceived ideas which tinker with age old existing systems rather than strengthening them are going to do irreparable loss to our internal security apparatus," he said.

Modi said he was slightly worried about the last minute circulation of proposed order on NCTC.

"The fact that it is on the agenda and gets a passing mention should not be construed as a consultation with the states much less an arriving of consensus on this issue," he said.