New Delhi, Sept. 18: BJP-ruled states are projecting their efforts to draft anti-terror laws, in the wake of a directive from the central party leadership this week to fill the ?void? created by the imminent repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The Gujarat government today tried to portray a law being enacted on the lines of the one in Maharashtra to deal with organised crime as its answer to the repeal of the anti-terror legislation. However, the Madhya Pradesh government, which also suggested that it is seriously on the job, waved the National Security Act.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi flayed the United Progressive Alliance government for its decision to repeal the anti-terror law and sought to give an impression that the state government would make up for its absence by enacting legislation on the lines of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act.

?It was the need of the hour to have a law like the anti-terror legislation and the BJP has made its view clear on this issue,? said Modi, who is in Delhi to attend the conference of chief justices of high courts and chief ministers. ?We are in the process of enacting the Gujarat Control of Organised Crimes Act,? he said, suggesting that this law would come in handy to deal with terrorism.

The Gujarat Assembly first passed the bill last year when the anti-terror law was still in force and the National Democratic Alliance firmly in the driver?s seat. The President, however, had returned the bill to seek some amendments in the draft. Changes in line with the recommendations were approved in June and have been sent to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Leader of Opposition .K. Advani had earlier asked chief ministers of six BJP-ruled states at a meeting to introduce laws to ensure that the repeal of the anti-terror legislation by the Congress-led government at the Centre did not reduce their arsenal.

On his way to today?s conference, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Babulal Gaur was equally critical of the Centre?s move. ?The anti-terror legislation was enacted by the previous NDA government at the Centre to control terrorist activities and we object strongly to the move to withdraw it,? he said.

The BJP had declared soon after that it would invoke the anti-terror law if needed. But the Union home ministry says Madhya Pradesh has not invoked the legislation so far, indicating that Gaur may not have anything to worry about.

Gaur, who was made chief minister after Uma Bharti quit in view of the arrest warrant against her in Hubli, declared that his government would make a law similar to the repealed one to control terrorist activities in the state.

Gaur was quoted by agencies as declaring that ?we will use provisions of the National Security Act to frame similar new laws?. There was, however, no elaboration on how this would be done.