West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee brought the UPA Government to its knees once again, this time on the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) proposal.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday assured Mamata — the chief of UPA’s second biggest partner Trinamool Congress — that the process to set up NCTC would be put on hold till wider consultations with State Governments. Several non-Congress-ruled States have alleged that the NCTC was an assault on federal structure of country, and demanded its repeal.

The Prime Minister’s assurance to Mamata came during a 15-minute meeting between the two at the former’s residence in New Delhi. “The Prime Minister told me that the Home Minister would consult the States. I requested him to put the NCTC on hold till the consultation process was over,” she said after the meeting. Asked if the PM had given any positive assurance, Mamata replied in the affirmative.

A statement from the PMO, however, read, “The PM assured the Chief Minister (Mamata) that he has requested the Home Minister to find ways to address concerns of the State Governments on NCTC.”

The PM was virtually left with no choice but to give in to Mamata’s demand following her positioning that West Bengal (and other non-Congress Governments as well) would not accept the NCTC in its present form, which infringed upon the rights of States in policing matters.

Moreover, she also contested the PM’s argument that the idea dated back to 2001 when a Group of Ministers had suggested a Joint Task Force on Intelligence. “What is the urgency in executing an 11-year-old decision, that too without taking States into confidence,” she asked the PM.

This is not for the first time that the Centre crumbled before the “Bengal tigress” on a serious policy matter. In November last year, the Government had to roll back a hike in fuel price after she threatened to quit the UPA.

Subsequently, she foiled the UPA’s bid to allow foreign investment in multi-brand retail sector. Similarly, her  protest over certain clauses of the Lokpal Bill saw the Government running away from a vote in the Rajya Sabha. In a major embarrassment to the UPA, the Teesta Water treaty between India and Bangladesh fell through after Mamata’s protest.

The latest NCTC controversy assumes greater significance as, for the first time, it has seen an unofficial collaboration between regional parties like BJD, AIADMK, JD(U) and TDP and others who aspire for a bigger role in national politics.

The new realignment spells trouble for the UPA as it prepares to face the Budget Session from March 12, and most importantly prepare for the Presidential Election in the subsequent months.

Mamata also discussed the Farakka Barrage issue with Singh, telling him that the issue should be decided as per the agreement. “I told the PM that disaster may take place anytime… I demanded a high-powered inquiry into the issue,” said the Chief Minister. Singh assured her that the Water Resources Ministry was working at plugging leakages in the barrage. Singh told her that he, too, was worried over the issue.