The Union home ministry is proposing to hold the annual chief ministers’ conference on internal security on February 15 and will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Burning issues of civil society agitation led by Anna Hazare in the last few months, the preparedness of security forces’ to meet terror challenges in the wake of the Mumbai serial blasts and Delhi high court blast last year, unsolved terror cases, pending statehood demands of Telangana and proposal for division of Uttar Pradesh submitted to the home ministry are likely to generate some political fireworks when the chief ministers’ of all states gather for the day-long meet to deliberate on internal security challenges. With Assembly elections taking place in five states in the coming days, sources said that the CMs of BJP ruled states could try and corner the government on the sensitive issues.
Deliberations are on to finalise the date, MHA sources said.
It remains to be seen if Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati participates in the conference. Some CMs, including Mayawati, have been skipping the CMs’ meet every year. All eyes will also be on UPA ally and Trinamul chief, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee who came to power last year ending the 32-years-long Left Front rule in the state. Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa will also be extended an invitation by the home ministry after it finalises the date. The rising attempts of infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir, fresh terror activities on the Western border and other issues like the Centre’s approach towards the JK interlocutors report are likely to come up for discussion. On Left Wing extremism, NDA-ruled states have been maintaining that the Naxal problem can be countered through development works.