By IANS,
New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday said the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) will upset the federal structure of the country and pitched for its withdrawal.
It will only increase trust deficit between the central government and the states, she said.
Speaking at a meeting of chief ministers here, Banerjee said: “The setting up of an institution like NCTC with the proposed powers of arrest, search and seizure greatly upsets the constitutionally mandated federal structure of the country by infringing on the power of the states.”
Banerjee demanded the withdrawal of order for constitution of NCTC, saying police functions should remain the prerogative of the states as enshrined in the constitution.
The well-conceived equilibrium of powers and responsibilities between the centre and state should not be disturbed under any circumstances, she said.
“I would, therefore, strongly urge the union government to withdraw the order dated Feb 3, 2012 issues by the home ministry for setting up of the NCTC,” she said.