India's central government Friday defended the decision of setting up the National Counter Terrorism Center across states, saying it's in the interest of the country, after at least five chief ministers opposed the move and claimed they were not consulted in the matter.

"The central government is not passing any new law. There was no need to consult states prior to notifying the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) as it has been formed under the existing laws," Indian Home Secretary R.K. Singh told the media in the national capital.

He added: "There should not be any controversy and it is in national interest that the NCTC be formed."

Five chief ministers, including the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's ally and eastern state of West Bengal's leader Mamata Banerjee, have objected fiercely to the new National Counter Terrorism Center.

Other chief ministers are eastern state of Bihar's Nitish Kumar, southern state of Tamil Nadu's J. Jayalalithaa, eastern state of Odisha's Navin Patnaik, and the western state of Gujarat's Narendra Modi.

The opposing chief ministers have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against the move, saying that it would violate the principles of federalism by encroaching upon state government turf.

Banerjee wrote: "It is difficult for the state government to accept such arbitrary exercise of power by the central agency, which have a bearing on the rights and privilege of the states as enshrined in the Constitution."

The National Counter Terrorism Center, which will become functional on March 1, will have the power to swoop into any state, arrest suspects and fly them out of the state; it will not be obliged to consult the local government even though law and order is a state subject as per the Indian Constitution.