Malegaon blasts: It may not be the usual suspects

NEW DELHI: The crude bombs used and the timing and venues indicate that the Malegaon blasts may not be the handiwork of the usual suspects like the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, intelligence sources said. “These could be other people, probably not even Muslims,” a source said.

This possibility introduces a new dimension to the government’s counter-terrorism strategy, which is currently focused on Islamist groups that are funded, trained, and armed by Pakistan.

Sources cautioned that the “obsession” with Islamist terror is misleading Indian investigators. “We should keep a close watch on developments like the Nanded blast” in which two people were killed in April this year, said an intelligence officer. A state CID report has blamed the Bajrang Dal for the incident.

New Delhi’s traditional line on terrorism is not getting it anywhere, experts say, with generic warnings becoming the order of the day. Foreign policy experts believe that by continuing its traditional blame game with Pakistan, India is losing focus and precious time.

Intelligence sources said government agencies should look to build ground-level intelligence, mostly through a strengthened beat constable system. The absence of such inputs showed through on Friday, officers said. “We have to reinvigorate the system, which covers every inch of this country,” said former CBI director SK Dutta. “Once this intelligence is available, other agencies can act on it in time.”