Chief Ministers of several non-Congress states, who have opposed the Centre over its proposed anti-terror body, will attend a crucial meeting on internal security here on Monday.
The Chief Ministers’ conference, which has been convened by the Home Ministry, will also have Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in attendance.
However, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who along with a few other chief ministers has forced the Centre to convene a special meeting on National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), will skip today’s meet.
Although, Mamata has decided to skip the meeting, state’s Finance Minister Amit Mitra is expected to attend the meeting.
Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Odisha Mamata Banerjee, J Jayalalitha and Naveen Patnaik, along with a few others, had forced the Central government to convene a special meeting of CMs on May 5 to discuss the NCTC by saying the April 16 conclave on internal security would not have enough time and opportunity to discuss the controversial issue and hence a separate session was required for it.
They have been opposing the setting up of NCTC claiming the proposed anti-terror hub would infringe on the states’ powers and hurt country’s federal structure.
Today’s meeting will focus on strengthening counter-terrorism and intelligence capabilities and strengthening border and coastal security.
Cross-border terrorism, infiltration from across the border to Jammu and Kashmir, activities of Pakistan-based terror outfits and insurgency in the Northeast, combating economic offences, especially counterfeit currency notes, will also come up for detailed deliberations.
A separate session on Left-wing extremism will also be held which is expected to be attended by at least eight chief ministers, barring that of West Bengal.
—-Agencies