Gujarat is being targeted, alleges Narendra Modi

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation for “castigating'' the State's law and order situation, making observations such as “highly communalised atmosphere” and “despising'' democratically elected members and the State government.

Mr. Modi was speaking at the Chief Ministers' conference on internal security here.

He said the reduction in incidences of crime as well as better law and order and communal situation in the State suggested overall peaceful and congenial atmosphere. Such facts could be ascertained from the National Crime Record Bureau reports. Gujarat was being “targeted'' and “singled out'' and this does not augur well for the federal structure of governance.

On police reforms, he said the Supreme Court order in Prakash Singh Vs Union of India would lead to “creation of new power centres'' in the forms of Security Commission and Police Complaints Authority, which might become difficult to be handled even by the judiciary.

Police administration and law and order were State subjects under the Constitution and that State legislatures were competent to make appropriate laws in this regard, he noted.

Mr. Modi regretted the Centre's “poor response'' to suggestions made during previous Chief Ministers conferences. “I am constrained to mention that even after lot of deliberation held in this august body every year, policy issues discussed in earlier conferences are not being addressed meaningfully and effectively,'' he said.