M A I N   N E W S

Home-grown terror fresh challenge: PC
Ajay Banerjee /TNS

Indian module behind Mumbai blasts The government on Thursday pointed towards the involvement of a home-grown terror group in the Mumbai blasts. "While no conclusion has been reached, all indications point to an Indian module," P Chidambaram said.

New Delhi, August 4
Without using the term Hindu terror, which has raised the hackles of the RSS in the past, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said home-grown terror was a new challenge that India was facing.

Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the "growing incidents of terrorism", Chidambaram said initially terrorism was imported from across the border. "The new reality is that it is not the only source of terror anymore. We must realise that many terror groups are home-grown. They may be inspired by groups outside but they are in India and they are Indian module," he said.

The Home Minister said when Indian modules of these groups were being formed, the nation "failed to recognise them."

"How SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) morphed into Indian Mujahideen? These groups don't practice any religion," he said.

He said that while the investigating agencies were probing jihadi cases, right-wing fascists were also on the rise in India. "All over the world, right-wing fascist groups are on the rise and India is no exception. We cannot live in denial and we cannot close our eyes to facts," he said.

Earlier, Opposition BJP, joined by the NCP, charged the government with being soft on terrorism.

Participating in the debate, BJP leader Arun Jaitley launched a scathing attack on the handling of the terror attacks and said mandarins in the Ministry of External Affairs "feel helpless" while dealing with countries which are the epicentres of terrorism.