NIA has become a matter of joke: Modi

Just days after supporting the anti-terror measures in Parliament,chief ministers of various NDA constituents expressed their reservations over the new National Investigation Agency saying it would “disturb” the federal set-up of the country and sought tougher laws. The NDA parties,however,said they will support the Centre in its fight against terror.

Speaking at the Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security in New Delhi,BJP leader and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said,”By setting up the National Investigation Agency,the Central government now obviously wants to take over upon itself the responsibility of fighting terror by sidetracking the states.” He said the NIA has become a matter of “mazak” (joke) since it would take at least a month for the government to decide “which and what case to take up” once NIA starts functioning.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,who belongs to JD-U,said consultations with states should have preceded enactment of the National Investigation Agency Act and other anti-terror laws. He wanted that NIA be barred from taking up any case not relating to terrorism without the consent of the state government.

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“It appears the recent spurt in terrorist activities has led the Centre to rush through various legislations without adequate consultation with state governments,” he said.

“The anti-terror measures taken by Union Government after the Mumbai attacks were encroachment on state’s right and were against the federal structure of the country.” He said that there are many lacunae in the NIA Act and “states could have also been involved in the decision process before enactment of the Act.”