NCTC in its present form unacceptable: BJP

NEW DELHI: Amidst a renewed debate on how to counter terror, BJP on Monday made it clear that it is opposed to NCTC in its present form that gave it policing powers and said the fight against the menace must co-exist with federalism.

The party also alleged Congress was playing politics and being "double-faced" on the issue due to which the fight was being weakened and said it was meaningless to debate the "imaginary federalism-versus-terrorism" issue.

"To blame opposition parties and to suggest that some states are not serving the national purpose is absolutely erronous and absolutely unacceptable. States and many parties are opposing the NCTC in its present structure.

"The NCTC's present proposal by the government is giving police powers to an intelligence agency. This is not done in a democratic institution," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

Charging Congress with doing politics on NCTC, Javadekar said the whole political colour to the NCTC debate is most unfortunate and condemnable.

"We condemn Congress' approach and its effort to politicise this debate is absolutely unacceptable," he said.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley also said the fight against terror must co-exist with federalism and it was meaningless to debate the "imaginary federalism versus terrorism" issue.

"The fight against terrorism can and must co-exist with federalism. It would be meaningless to debate an imaginary 'federalism-versus-terrorism' issue," Jaitley said in response to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's plea for setting up the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

"There could be no possible objection to a National Terrorism Counter Centre but its powers and jurisdictions must be within the constitutional framework," Jaitley said.