Karnataka haven for terrorists, says CM

INDIA: Karnataka Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has admitted that the state has become a haven for terrorists. As the state now finally wakes up to the real threats of terrorism, experts and former police officials point out that the alarm was on much earlier.

From a safe hideout for extremists, Karnataka has travelled a long distance. When ULFA activists were arrested in Bangalore in 1995, it was presumed to be a coincidence.

Later , when Sivarasan, the main accused in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case was killed in Bangalore , it was thought that it was a natural choice for Sivarasan, as LTTE had made Karnataka a haven for many years. The IB had warned that the LTTE was targeting some establishments in the Cantonment area of Bangalore.

The attempts were neutralized in a joint operation of IB and military intelligence. "We should have been on alert when there was an attack on IISc. It was a clear indication that more strikes are in the offing. When Delhi police can secure a few people within 48 hours of the blast or Gujarat police can secure some leads, why can't we? There should be a good network and a team of dedicated people to work on terrorism-related issues,'' says L Revannasiddiah, former Director General of Police.

Such indications were aplenty, after a less known organization called Deendar Anjuman carried out serial blasts on churches across the state. Even that was thought to be an isolated incident. "How long will things remain static? Yes, they used Karnataka for sleeper cells for a long time.

When every state police starts hunting for terrorists here, the terrorists will naturally change base,'' points out former IGP K S Suresh Babu. The terrorists are now net-savvy, hack into servers, download critical data and use the technology to achieve precision in their operation. But the state police or the anti-terror cell neither have men nor resources. Bangalore is inviting a cross-section of people and there is nobody to check who comes and why they come.

"The Majestic area, which has both city railway station and the central bus stand, handles a floating population of over seven lakh a day.

Where are these people coming from and where they will go? What do they do for a livelihood? We never get an answer for these questions.