Mamata meets PM, Manmohan concerns over NCTC

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday assured West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the Centre will take the concerns of state governments on board on the issue of National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

Singh's assurance that he has requested Home Minister P Chidambaram to find ways to address the states' concerns was given to Banerjee when she met him at his residence, the PMO said in a release.

However, Banerjee claimed after the meeting that the Prime Minister gave her an assurance that the proposal to set up NCTC will be put on hold till a consensus is evolved among the states.

Banerjee, who has joined several other non-Congress hief Ministers in opposing the brain child of the Home Minister, said  she told the Prime Minister that until and unless consultation with state governments is over or a consensus is arrived at on the issue, "please do not implement the executive order on NCTC".

"The notification should not be implemented till then," Banerjee told reporters after meeting Singh.

On terrorism, she said, "We are against terrorism. We are fighting the battle against terror. But at the same if the state and the Centre do it together then there will be no confusion."