New Delhi, December 31, 2009: Home Minister P Chidambaram Thursday said there was 'nothing wrong' in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) taking over terror-related cases from state governments and it should not be construed as an infringement of powers.

'The NIA can take over any case related to terrorism,' Chidambaram told reporters, rejecting the Kerala government's allegation that it was not consulted before some cases were taken over.

'The NIA takes up cases that may have inter-state ramifications, and in some cases which may have both national and international consequences,' Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram said four terror-related cases had been taken over by the NIA from Kerala and two from Goa.

Last week, Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan questioned the NIA decision to take over the cases, including a bus burning case allegedly involving People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Abdul Nazir Maudany's wife, Sufiya.

The NIA has taken over investigations in the 2005 bus burning case that occurred in Kalamassey, Kochi.

Sufiya Maudany was arrested Dec 17 in connection with the case.

The other case relates to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)'s south India chief T.Nazeer, who is in police custody in Bangalore.

He was allegedly on a recruitment drive.

The terror recruiting case was busted after the Indian security forces gunned down five infiltrators in Jammu and Kashmir last year while they were trying to sneak into Pakistan.

Nazeer was nabbed in Meghalaya in early December.

The NIA was formed by the Indian government in the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai and has the powers to investigate terror-related offences across the country.

Dismissing the charge of "flip flop" on the part of Centre on Telangana issue, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said the January 5 meeting of political parties from Andhra Pradesh is to devise a "mechanism and roadmap" on resolving the problem.

"The January 5 meeting is the first step in the consultations.

In the first step we have called the recognised parties in the state to devise a mechanism and a roadmap (on the issue," he told a press conference, the state chief minister has been invited to the meeting in his official capacity.

He said as the consultation process progresses the issue of involving people beyond the 8 recognised parties could be thought of.

Referring to the two statements he had made on Dec 9 and Dec 23 on the issue of separate Telangana, Chidambaram said there has been criticism that there has been a flip-flop on the part of the Central government.

"There was no flip-flop on the part of the Central government, which simply responded to the situation in Andhra Pradesh.

We simply responded to the wishes of the people of Andhra Pradesh.

I hope you don't call the Jan 5 meeting a flip-flop," he said.

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