The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of India has plunged into a crisis as its main ally the Trinamool congress has joined hands with three opposition parties and opposed the just approved anti- terror intelligence hub.

West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool congress chief Mamata Banerjee joined hands with Tamil Nadu chief minister and All India anna Dravoda Munnetra Kazhagham (AIADMK) Jayaram Jayalalithaa, Orisissa chief minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik and Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar in opposing the hub raising concerns that the powers given to the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) would infringe on the federal structure and the rights of state governments.

Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking the government to "review and withdraw" the executive order on the NCTC, which was to be formed March 1 after a cabinet nod last month.

The West Bengal chief minister, who is known to have blocked key government decisions, has said that "arbitrary exercise of powers" by the NCTC would have "a bearing on the rights and privilege of the states as enshrined in the constitution."

She said the home ministry should have consulted state governments before establishing such powerful organizations "which infringed upon the powers and rights of the state governments."

Her colleague and Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed charged the central government of which he is a part with neglecting states.

"Being part of the government in the centre doesn't mean we will forget our state interests."

Banerjee shared the stage with Finance Minister Pranab Mukehrjee at a function in West Bengal Friday and being his party' s main trouble shooter Mukherjee will now have a new assignment to convince the mercurial ally. In a letter dated February 14, Banerjee has written to the Prime Minister to "review and withdraw" the order sanctioning the new agency.

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