With Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s broadside of the Central Government over the “draconian” NCTC finding its echo at least in eight States, including West Bengal where UPA ally Mamata Banerjee is at the helm, the UPA Government on Saturday appeared to be in a tizzy, forcing Home Minister P Chidambaram to take a placatory stand at Kolkatta. But it provided further space to Patnaik to continue his diatribe on the issue.

While questioning the propriety of the UPA Government in not taking into confidence the State Governments in the matters of internal security, Patnaik slammed Chidambaram for his reference at Kolkota that internal security was a shared responsibility of the Centre and States. Patnaik expressed his surprise and sought to know ,”If it is a shared responsibility why they (Union Government) are not sharing vital information with the State Governments like the notification (on NCTC) which was passed on February 3, while they want to put it into operation from March 1.”

In his reaction, Patnaik described the statement of Chidambaram as “Kamaal ki baat” and also sought clarification from the Union Home Ministry for its double standards and keeping the States in dark on important security matters.

On the plea of maintaining internal security, he said, “The Home Ministry has been sending heavy bills for deployment of CRPF and BSF for security of various parts of India which are affected by either Maoists or terrorists or problems of internal security in States like Odisha.”

But, Patnaik lamented, “I don’t know why the notification on NCTC was not shared with the States. It seems to be very peculiar,” the BJD chief said.

To another question on his proposal to the Prime Minister on imposition of mineral resources tax for the socio-economic development of the concerned areas, Patnaik said he had requested Ministers of various mineral-bearing States to come to Delhi to have a discussion on revenue, royalty and taxes the State Governments should get out of the minerals. However, he said the date for the meeting was yet to be decided.

Though Patnaik refused to link both issues, he said the mineral resources tax proposal related to revenue. But the present matter (NCTC) deals with security of the entire nation. “Both are important for States like Odisha. But terrorism, security, extremism take more important priority,” he pointed out.

Raking up the issue of NCTC, Patnaik had written to the Prime Minsiter on February 15, objecting the authoritarian manner in which the notification for the proposed body was brought out.

He had pointed out that his concern was “the authoritarian notification with draconian overtones about law and order, among others, in which the State Governments have not been consulted.” And his concern was echoed in the same vein by Chief Ministers of at least eight States putting the UPA Government in a tizzy.