Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P. Chidambaram today received praise from an unexpected source: Narendra Modi.

The pat, equally surprisingly, related to their handling of security matters — an issue on which the BJP has perennially attacked the Congress, accusing it of being “soft” on terror.

The Gujarat chief minister complimented Singh, Chidambaram and home secretary G.K. Pillai for the “swift and positive” help the states received from Delhi on security matters. He was speaking on the sidelines of the chief ministers’ conference on internal security, where he was echoed by two other BJP chief ministers, Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh and Shivraj Singh Chauhan of Madhya Pradesh.

Modi’s tributes came despite the home ministry’s recent advice to President Pratibha Patil to withhold assent to a stringent law against organised crime that Gujarat had passed. His sweet words, though, had little effect on Chidambaram who later called the Gujarat law unconstitutional.

Modi rarely lets an opportunity pass to criticise the Congress-led Centre and had had a verbal duel with Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee at yesterday’s conference of the chief ministers on price rise.

But today, he told reporters: “The response of the home secretary and the home minister is swift and positive whenever there is a demand from the states.”

Modi praised Manmohan Singh for convening today’s meeting and said that during his tenure, Opposition-ruled states did not face discrimination in matters of internal security.

At the meeting, Raman Singh appreciated the Centre’s help in combating the Maoists. Chauhan told reporters: “Chidambaram has taken issues of internal security with utmost seriousness after becoming home minister.”

Modi had earlier registered a mild complaint about Delhi’s attitude to the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime bill. He said his government had sent it for the President’s assent four times, and that the Centre was doing Gujarat an injustice. “It is nearly a photocopy of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. It has been passed by a two-thirds majority in the Assembly. We believe in democracy and human rights but we need stronger laws to deal with security-related issues.”

The home ministry has objected to the bill’s provision making confessions before a police officer admissible in court and a clause that bars bail to an accused if the public prosecutor opposes the plea. At a news briefing after the conference, Chidambaram said the Gujarat law was not in “accordance with the present mind of Parliament and the Constitution”.

“With great respect to Narendra Modi… I want to say again, the Government of India and therefore the President of India can (give) assent to a bill which reflects the last expression of the mind of Parliament. When the Maharashtra bill was assented to, the last expression of the mind of Parliament was (anti-terror law) Pota, that was repealed (after the UPA came to power),” Chidambaram said.

Date : 08/02/2010. News by Newsofap.com