Mamata Banerjee to skip today's meet on internal security

NEW DELHI: The meeting of chief ministers on internal security, convened by the ministry of home affairs on Monday, is expected to discuss the problems arising out of terrorism and a spurt in Naxal attacks.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be staying away from Monday's session and will be represented, instead, by finance minister Amit Mitra. The move is in keeping with the announcement made by her earlier this month soon after home minister P Chidambaram - bowing to the concerns raised by a group of chief ministers on the Centre's decision to set up National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) - declared that a separate meeting will take place in the Capital on May 5 to discuss the impact of the formation of the anti-terror agency on the rights of the states.

Banerjee had then said that she would be attending the May 5 meeting on NCTC.

The meeting takes place against the backdrop of the abductions of two Italians and a BJD MLA in Odisha by the Maoists and the killing of 11 CRPF personnel in a landmine blast set off by the Naxalites on the outskirts of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra late last month, confirming fears of a deepening red menace.

Chief ministers of all NDA-ruled states, including Gujarat and Bihar, are likely to attend the meeting. Jayalalithaa and Naveen Patnaik will participate in the discussions. There are reports that the Opposition-ruled states would be acting in tandem.