Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy described the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre as a timely and well planned initiative to evolve a zero tolerance frame work against terrorist violence, especially at a time when the country was facing serious challenges from terrorism.
Speaking at the Conference of Chief Ministers on NCTC here on Saturday, Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the NCTC would lead the nation’s effort to combat terrorism by analysing 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 would act as a repository of all information relating to terrorism including the data pertaining to the incidents of terrorist violence.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that once NCTC is operationalised, it would 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, therefore, fully endorsed the initiative of the Government of India to constitute a single and effective point of control and coordination in the form of NCTC to deal with all facets of terrorism effectively.
“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,” he said. If India, as a nation have to fight terrorism effectively, we need to look beyond the physical boundaries of the States and ensure that there is a seamless co-ordination among various Agencies dealing with counter terrorism, between the districts within the State and between the States within the Country on 24 x 7 basis, he said.
The Chief Minister said that out of every 100 attempts made by a terrorist to strike, security agencies might succeed 99 times in neutralizing the threat but their inability to prevent one attempt might cause a great disaster to the fragile fabric of the Indian society.
“The repercussions of a terrorist attack are not only confined to the loss of life and the property, but it affects the overall psyche of the nation in terms of physical and emotional well being,” Kiran Kumar Reddy said.
The Chief Minister 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 the year 2008. The recent order of the Government of India on NCTC only operationalises the provisions of the law in terms of their implementation,” he said adding that 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.
Kiran Kumar Reddy said that 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 or flee from the country.
“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 said.
“I, therefore, fully endorse the initiative of the Government of India to constitute a single and effective point of control and co-ordination in the form of NCTC to deal with all facets of terrorism effectively,” the Chief Minister said in conclusion. (INN)