India faces threat from 'home grown terrorist outfits' says Chidambaram

Finger-pointing at a particular religion and 'neighbouring country' is a mistake.

NEW DELHI: Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that while there was finger-pointing for every terror incident towards the ‘neighbouring country’, there is also "an existence of home grown terror modules as also right-wing fascist forces," Press Trust of India PTI reported.

Home Minister, while speaking on a debate in Rajya Sabha on internal security on Thursday, said there were indications of involvement of an Indian module in the July 13 Mumbai blasts that killed 26 people. It was the first time that the Indian government pointed towards involvement of a home grown terror group for the three explosions in the metropolis.

Chidambaram said all over the world right-wing fascist forces were on the rise and India is no exception to it. "While no conclusion has been reached, all indications point to an Indian module," he said about the Mumbai blasts, adding that perhaps it could be the same module that carried out a blast in the German Bakery in Pune last year, too.

"We cannot live in denial. We cannot close our eyes to facts. There are home grown modules. They do not belong to one religion," Chidambaram said. He said Pune and Mumbai blasts were "two major plots" in last 32 months since he had assumed the charge of Home Minister.

"I accept it," he said.

He said another mistake was pointing fingers at a particular religion whenever a bomb blast took place. Describing the period from 2002 to 2008 as the worst phase of terrorism, he said there was a "failure to recognize" growth of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Indian Mujahideen in these years at the political and government level.

Chidambaram added that Indian security forces have so far eliminated 51 terror modules in the last two years.

"We have successfully busted a number of modules. Terrorism has taken a new dimension and it not only affect the nation's security but may even affect the nation's survival as one entity," he said

He said India lived in a troubled and vulnerable neighbourhood, as the epicenter of terrorism has shifted to Afghanistan and Pakistan from West Asia.

"As long as the epicenter of terrorism is in this region, we continue to be under the shadow of terror and continue to be vulnerable," he said. Citing terror attacks in other parts of the world, he said it was a myth that the US was free from any terror attack after 9/11.