Accusing the UPA of encroaching upon the State’s powers, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday took strong exception to the Centre’s recent decisions to set aside preventive detention orders issued by the Tamil Nadu government.
Her criticism stemmed from the Centre ‘meddling’ in the affairs of the State with regard to preventive detention and the proposed Communal Violence Bill.
“Of late, there is a noticeable and unwelcome development wherein the government of India, for ostensibly political considerations, is setting aside orders issued by the State government. We consider this an unnecessary encroachment upon the State’s powers and it will seriously compromise the maintenance of Public Order,” said the CM.
She registered her strong objection in her speech at the National Integration Council meeting held at New Delhi, read out by Municipal Administration Minister K P Munusamy.
The Chief Minister observed that Tamil Nadu was invoking preventive detention laws keeping foremost in mind the interest of preserving public order and the laws were very judiciously used as they dealt with the personal liberty of citizens.
She was perhaps alluding to the preventive detention of PMK MLA and Vanniyar Sangam leader Kaduvetti J Guru, which was revoked by the Centre. He was arrested on April 29 for his hate speech at the Chithirai festival at Mamallapuram on April 25. The Kancheepuram Collector-cum-District Magistrate detained him under the National Security Act on May 10. On July 1, the Union Home Ministry revoked the detention order. On July 3, the Collector passed a second such order, which the Centre again revoked on August 25. The next day, the Collector passed a third detention order. On September 19, the Madras HC set aside the two orders of the Home Ministry, which revoked the State’s orders.