Bhubaneswar:
It's not exactly a good Friday for the Congress. In Mumbai, it's performance in the local elections has been below average. On the national landscape, it's run into a huge wall comprising of four chief ministers and its Frenemy No. 1, Mamata Banerjee. The fact that Ms Banerjee is fraternizing with allies of the BJP-led NDA is new stress test for Ms Banerjee and the Congress, who work together in the UPA coalition.
The Big 5 want the Prime Minister to "review and withdraw" the National Counter Terrorism Centre, formally sanctioned by the centre in an executive order earlier this month.
They say the centre's blueprint violates the principles of federalism by encroaching upon state government turf; Ms Banerjee has said all state governments should have been consulted. Those who agree include Navin Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha; Nitish Kumar of Bihar; Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi of the BJP who wrote to the PM today; and Jayalalithaa from Tamil Nadu , who enjoys a relationship based on mutual respect with Mr Modi. The Odisha Chief Minister had recently suggested a third front of parties, and has reportedly been wooing Ms Banerjee to consider his proposal.
Ms Banerjee shared the stage with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee at a function in Bengal today. As his party's trouble-shooter-in-chief, Mr Mukherjee is aware of his new assignment. "The government will examine everything and then decide," he said today, when asked about the conflict with state governments over the anti-terror agency.
Home Minister P Chidambaram has treated the new hub as a priority since the Mumbai attacks of 26/11.
Today, his officials were clear that state governments are crossing the line on the issue. "We are not passing any new law," said Home Secretary RK Singh.
"There was no need to consult the states prior to notifying the National Counter Terrorism Centre. It has been formed for better coordination among agencies to fight terror better. "
That could further exorcize Ms Banerjee who did not mince words in her letter to the Prime Minister, sent earlier this week. "It is difficult for the state government to accept such arbitrary exercise of power by the central agency, which have a bearing on the rights and privilege of the states as enshrined in the Constitution." Mr Patnaik said today, "Any self-respecting chief minister would oppose this."
The Counter Terrorism Centre, which will become functional on March 1, will have the power to swoop into any state, arrest suspects and fly them out of the state; it will not be obliged to consult the local government. Law and order is a state subject in India. The new agency will keep state police in the loop but need not seek permission from state governments before launching any operation.
Of the group of five chief ministers that interpret the new body as a violation of the rights of states, it is Ms Banerjee's criticism that no doubt rankles the most. She is a senior ally of the coalition at the centre; that hasn't stopped her from siding often with opposition parties, in Parliament and outside, on some of the government's biggest new policies. Her anger over attempts to introduce reforms in the retail sector forced the government into a humiliating retreat days after announcing its new guidelines.
It's not just her opposition but the company that she is keeping that has the Congress in knots. Ms Banerjee has met recently with the BJP- both sides described it as a courtesy call, but there is talk of a political flirtation.
So speculation is surging about whether Ms Banerjee is using the campaign against the Counter Terrorism Centre to test-run a wider partnership.