BJP states attack Centre on terror laws, Modi leads the charge

The Centre today came under attack from BJP-ruled states over the issue of special anti-terror laws with their chief ministers accusing the Manmohan Singh government of being soft on terror.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi led the charge at the chief ministers' conference on Internal security slamming the Centre for returning the anti-terror bill GUJCOC to the state assembly recently after keeping it pending for a long time with directions to delete certain provisions.

"...I fail to understand why the central government should oppose provisions which are already part of the similar Acts in Karnataka and Maharashtra," he said.

Shivraj Singh Chauhan, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, also raised the issue of special anti-terror law passed by the Assembly which too is awaiting nod of the president.

Terming the present legal provision for the maintenance of internal security as "inadequate", Chauhan sought early approval to Madhya Pradesh Control of Terrorism, Unlawful Activities and Organised Crime Bill passed by the Assembly.

The BJP chief ministers demanded force, expertise, funds and control on the illegal immigrants coming through various porous borders of the country.

Among the non-Congress, non-BJP chief ministers, Uttar Pradesh's Mayawati apprehended that the Centre was contemplating direct deployment of its forces in states facing long-term law and order problem and called it a "matter of concern".