Chennai, Oct 26: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa tonight vehemently opposed the Centre's decision to give more teeth to the Pota review committee making its decisions binding on state governments and the Centre on the plea that it would defeat the very purpose for which the anti-terror law was enacted. In a statement here, she said the decision would also "nullify the efforts taken by progressive state governments like Tamil Nadu in putting down terrorist and subersive elements trying to disrupt peace and tranquality”.

Jayalalithaa said that she supported the Centre's decision to enact Pota as "it has become imperative to review and strengthen the existing measures for the maintenance of internal security”.

She said, "responsible state governments like Tamil Nadu have utilised the provisions of Pota with great circumspection to put down the activities of terrorist groups and individuals encouraging and abetting such terrorist groups as envisaged in the act”.
Since the state government had set up its own Pota review committee, the decision of the Centre would amount to negating and thwarting the powers of the state government in maintaining law and order, she said.

Apparently under pressure from NDA constituents of Tamil Nadu like DMK and MDMK, the union cabinet last week decided to promulgate an ordinate making the Pota review committee's decisions binding on the state governments.
Bureau Report