Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has said that at a time when the country is facing serious challenges from terrorists, the concept of NCTC is a timely and well-planned initiative to evolve a zero tolerance framework against terrorist violence.
Speaking at the Conference of Chief Ministers here on NCTC on Saturday, Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the NCTC would lead nation’s effort to combat terrorism by analyzing the threat, sharing that information with all partner States and agencies and integrating all instruments of counter terrorism to ensure unity of effort and purpose. He hoped that NCTC will act as a repository of all information relating to terrorism, including the data pertaining to the incidents of terrorist violence.
The Chief Minister exuded confidence that once NCTC is operationalised, it will function as smoothly as other Central agencies like NIA which has been investigating several cases of terrorist attacks across the country. He fully endorsed the initiative of the Centre to constitute a single and effective point of control and coordination in the form of NCTC to deal with all facets of terrorism effectively.
Kiran Kumar Reddy said, “Terrorism knows no physical boundaries. As we all understand, terrorists operate across districts, States and countries, taking advantage of inherent weaknesses in co-ordination among various agencies of the districts, the States and the Centre.
As policy makers, we all need to work at evolving a zero tolerance framework against terrorist violence. While evolving this framework, we need to treat the challenges of terrorism as apolitical issues by being more mature and accommodative. Out of every 100 attempts made by a terrorist to strike, security agencies may succeed 99 times in neutralizing the threat but their inability to prevent one attempt may cause a great disaster to the fragile fabric of the Indian society.”
He said that objections have been raised over empowering of the NCTC with search, seizure and arrest. These powers already exist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as amended from time to time, including the latest amendments made during 2008. The recent order of the Union government on NCTC only operationalises the provisions of the law in terms of their implementation. The power of search, seizure and arrest under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) is confined only to the offences listed under UAP Act relating to Counter Terrorism.
“The NCTC which is expected to deal with counter terrorism effectively, must have necessary operational capability especially in situations where the terrorists are about to strike, escape, flee from the country. The powers of search, seizure, arrest for the officers of the NCTC is only confined to the areas of counter terrorism so as to prevent the possibility of an imminent terror strike or prevent escape of suspect due to delay, lack of co-ordination, leakage of information and so on,” he added.
Kiran said that the apprehension that the Centre is encroaching upon the powers of the States is not based on sound reasoning in the present context. “I am confident that once NCTC is operationalised, it will function as smoothly as other Central agencies like NIA which has been investigating several cases of terrorist attacks across many states in the country”, he added. (NSS)