The Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi has demanded withdrawal of the recent order of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs extending the powers and duties of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), an anti-terror body.
In his letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday, Modi termed the latest order as an encroachment on the state's powers and demanded immediate repeal of the same.
Modi mentioned that the central home ministry, on February 3, 2012 passed an order as per the provisions given under Article 73 of the Constitution, through an office memorandum bringing all types of intelligence agencies under NCTC.
"Through this order," according to Modi, "all national intelligence agencies, be it within the country or abroad, would have to work in accordance with the NCTC. Moreover, NCTC is given power for arrest and search under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 without prior consultation with the state governments concerned. While, as per the Constitution of India, the law and order is put under the state subjects. This order would infringe on the states' powers."
Modi alleged that the order smacked of an autocratic approach of central government as it did not consult the state governments before passing such an important order.
"Central government has violated the spirit of cooperative federalism by not consulting the state governments prior to passing this order. The order in its present form, should be repealed with immediate effect. There should be a debate on the order with all the state governments," Modi wrote in the letter.