Favouring a coordinated strategy at the national level, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Mr Raman Singh today said that terrorism and Naxalism have to be dealt with tough hands.
Mr Singh also asked for a “national consensus” on the issue of setting up a National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) to ensure a federal structure.
“I believe that the problem of terrorism and Naxalism can be curbed with the coordinated efforts of the central and the state governments. For this we have always emphasised the need for a coordinated strategy at the national level. I have always been in favour of dealing with terrorism and Naxalism with tough hands,” Mr Singh said during the Chief Ministers' conference on internal security here.
He said that the issue of the establishment of NCTC requires a national consensus as “it must not adversely affect our federal structure”.
The Centre has scheduled a meeting on May 5 to discuss the proposed NCTC amid growing clamour against it in some states.
Mr Singh said Naxalites were using abduction as a strategic weapon and trying to gain control in areas with sufficient natural resources.
“Naxalism poses the same threat to the internal security of the country as any other terrorist activity. Today, it is a well-known fact that the damage to life and property caused by Naxalism is much more compared to terrorism.