New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today (Sep 16, 2004) requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to drop the proposed move to repeal POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) saying this would "denude" State Governments of their powers to combat terrorism.

Jayalalithaa, who had a meeting with the Prime Minister this morning, told him "any such move will leave States without a viable mechanism to counter the threat and danger from terrorist outfits and subversive elements."

During her 35-minute meeting, she demanded that the proposed move to repeal POTA be reconsidered and dropped.

Referring to the "extremely difficult situation" in the Cauvery Delta districts caused by the failure of Karnataka to release Tamil Nadu's "legitimate" share of water based on the interim orders of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, she requested him to convene a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority at the earliest and direct Karnataka to release water, a State Government release said.