Few takers for govt's federal agency idea
States that have witnessed terror attacks have voiced reservations against a federal agency investigating terror attacks that take place on their soil.
By Bharti Jain, ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: The UPA government may attribute its ���helplessness��� in fighting terror to the lack of consensus among states on creation of a federal investigation agency, but the reality is that the proposal has been opposed by all the states that matter, including those ruled by the Congress.
At past interactions with chief ministers and police chiefs of state/UTs on the issue of a federal investigation agency ��� which, as per the proposal, will have the legal powers to independently investigate crimes with inter-state and international ramifications, like terrorism, underworld operations and mafia ��� only Orissa and a few select north-eastern states have come out in favour of the idea. While the north-eastern states are struck by militancy and secessionism, Orissa is a Naxal-hit state.
But states that have witnessed terror attacks ��� Maharashtra, UP, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu ��� have voiced reservations against a federal agency investigating terror attacks that take place on their soil. The states are apprehensive that such an arrangement would infringe on states��� exclusive powers. Most states see the proposal as against the spirit of federalism and have serious misgivings about potential ���misuse��� of the federal investigation agency to score a point on democratically-elected state governments.
The CBI���s trackrecord of opening and closing cases against politicians as per their relations with the government in power ��� the flip-flop on the disproportionate assets case against BSP leader and UP chief minister Mayawati and, now, against SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav ��� has not escaped the states��� attention, who fear a similar fate for the proposed federal investigation agency.
Even Congress-ruled states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, though appreciative of the thought behind the federal agency, are not keen to play along as they do not want the Centre encroaching into their exclusive law and order domain. Though UPA is currently in the saddle, Congress-ruled states fear that the agency could be misused for political ends if another party or alliance comes to power at the Centre.
Orissa chief minister and BJD chief Navin Patnaik is the only chief minister, besides his colleagues in the north-east, who has been receptive to the federal agency idea.
But it is amply clear that the proposal cannot get beyond the discussion stage unless a positive response is forthcoming from states that are actually in the throes of terrorism. The Centre has an onerous task on its hand when it revives discussions on the federal investigation agency at its interactions with the chief secretaries/DGPs and chief ministers planned next month. It is expected to cite the inter-state links of the recent terror blasts ��� an identical technology was used to assemble the live unexploded bombs that were defused in Bangalore and Surat ��� to impress upon the states the importance of a federal agency to look into these inter-state linkages without losing crucial evidence to delays marring CBI investigation into terror cases.
At past interactions with chief ministers and police chiefs of state/UTs on the issue of a federal investigation agency ��� which, as per the proposal, will have the legal powers to independently investigate crimes with inter-state and international ramifications, like terrorism, underworld operations and mafia ��� only Orissa and a few select north-eastern states have come out in favour of the idea. While the north-eastern states are struck by militancy and secessionism, Orissa is a Naxal-hit state.
But states that have witnessed terror attacks ��� Maharashtra, UP, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu ��� have voiced reservations against a federal agency investigating terror attacks that take place on their soil. The states are apprehensive that such an arrangement would infringe on states��� exclusive powers. Most states see the proposal as against the spirit of federalism and have serious misgivings about potential ���misuse��� of the federal investigation agency to score a point on democratically-elected state governments.
The CBI���s trackrecord of opening and closing cases against politicians as per their relations with the government in power ��� the flip-flop on the disproportionate assets case against BSP leader and UP chief minister Mayawati and, now, against SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav ��� has not escaped the states��� attention, who fear a similar fate for the proposed federal investigation agency.
Even Congress-ruled states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, though appreciative of the thought behind the federal agency, are not keen to play along as they do not want the Centre encroaching into their exclusive law and order domain. Though UPA is currently in the saddle, Congress-ruled states fear that the agency could be misused for political ends if another party or alliance comes to power at the Centre.
Orissa chief minister and BJD chief Navin Patnaik is the only chief minister, besides his colleagues in the north-east, who has been receptive to the federal agency idea.
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But it is amply clear that the proposal cannot get beyond the discussion stage unless a positive response is forthcoming from states that are actually in the throes of terrorism. The Centre has an onerous task on its hand when it revives discussions on the federal investigation agency at its interactions with the chief secretaries/DGPs and chief ministers planned next month. It is expected to cite the inter-state links of the recent terror blasts ��� an identical technology was used to assemble the live unexploded bombs that were defused in Bangalore and Surat ��� to impress upon the states the importance of a federal agency to look into these inter-state linkages without losing crucial evidence to delays marring CBI investigation into terror cases.
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