Saffron terror rising: PC

The Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, pointed out towards a “new phenomenon” which he called as “saffron terrorism”.

“There is no let up in the attempts to radicalise young men and women in India. Besides, there is the recently uncovered phenomenon of saffron terrorism that has been implicated in many bomb blasts of the past,” he said while speaking at the annual DGPs conference organised by the Intelligence Bureau on Wednesday. The Prime Minister will address the conference on Thursday.

Mr Chidambaram’s comments come in the backdrop of the investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the CBI into bomb blast cases such as the 2007 Ajmer Dargah bomb blast and Hyderabad Macca Masjid blast of 2007, Malegaon blasts, 2008 bombing in Modasa in Gujarat, and the 2009 Goa blast throwing up evidence of involvement of radical Hindu outfits.

Mr Chidambaram said through 2009 and in the first eight months of 2010, the security situation was severely challenged by forces inimical, both within and outside the country. The home minister said that except for the Pune blast, the last 21 months have been remarkably free of any terrorist attack.