New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) Ruling out any softening of stand on the issue of NCTC, which faced opposition from its ally Trinamool Congress and other non-UPA Chief Ministers, Congress today said both the Centre and the states need to beef up their institutions to counter this challenge unitedly. "Terrorism is a real threat to the stability and security of India. The central government has to strengthen its institutions and the state governments need to beef up theirs to counter this challenge unitedly," party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters here. He at the same time said that the Centre will address the apprehensions raised by the states in this regard while noting that fighting terrorism is a "shared responsibility" of Centre and states. "If at all the central government has strengthened its institutions by empowering them in pursuance of a law passed by Parliament and if at all there are any apprehensions, which any state may have, we assure that the ministry concerned would address them appropriately," Tewari said. Asked whether the party was softening its stand, he said, there was "no softening of stand" and the party sticks to its earlier position. Tewari also downplayed questions on whether it was an embarrassment for the party that a UPA ally is attacking the government in this manner. "Central government and state governments can have different perceptions. Even the Chief Minister of an UPA ally can have a different view. "If a Chief Minister of any state even from UPA writes a letter to the Prime Minister or expresses his or her views on any issue under the impression that the measure relates to interests of a state, it is not wrong and this should not be given a political colour," Tewari said. He was responding to questions on whether Banerjee's opposition to the Centre on a number of issues was an indication of political realignments.
