Govt says ISI behind all recent terror incidents Text Size: | NEW DELHI: India, which has been silent over Pakistani links in a number of terrorist attacks in the country except for last month's Mumbai carnage, on Wednesday disclosed that the perpetrators of all recent terror bombings ��� including those allegedly carried out by locals ��� had links with the neighbour's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).



Disclosing it in response to a question in Rajya Sabha, minister of state for home affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal said: "Inquiries and investigations into various acts of terrorism in the recent past have indicated linkages of elements involved in terrorist incidents in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi with ISI."



The written statement assumes significance in view of the government's stated position of not taking the name of Pakistan or state actor ��� like ISI ��� until the police get some concrete proof. It, thus, indicates that besides the Mumbai terror attack case, the police have evidence of ISI's links in other cases as well.



Though the Centre spoke of the role of Pakistani elements in the 26/11 Mumbai carnage after getting clear evidence against banned outfit Lashker-e-Taiba, it had earlier preferred not to talk about any Pakistani linkages in the case of terror attacks in UP courts (November 2007), CRPF's camp in Rampur (January 1), Jaipur (May 13), Bangalore (July 25), Ahmedabad (July 26) and Delhi (September 13).



So, whatever the government told the Upper House on Wednesday is a clear indication of linkages of Indian Mujahideen (IM) ��� the splinter group of SIMI ��� with ISI.



Although IM, while taking responsibility for almost all recent terror attacks ��� except for the Malegaon blast which was allegedly carried out by Hindutva elements and the Mehrauli blast (in Delhi) ��� insisted that it did not have any outside links, the government's statement, that is based on investigation, has now made it clear that the outfit has actually been operating at the behest of ISI.



Speaking about the nefarious design of the Pakistan's espionage agency, Jaiswal, in his written response, further said: "Linkages between the ISI and various terror groups based in Pakistan, and operating in India, are well known and well documented through revelations by terrorists apprehended and investigations from time to time."



Though the government had on earlier occasions admitted to the existence of ISI-backed terror modules in different parts of the country, it had never been so unequivocal in stating the linkages of perpetrators with the espionage agency. Follow us on Twitter for TOI top stories Twitter Facebook Share Print Email Save Comment Text Size: | More Stories from this section