Right-wing groups are on the Governments watch list: But will it move beyond ?

(The Telegraph, September 2, 2008)

Riot watch on groups

BHAVNA VIJ-AURORA

New Delhi, Sept. 1: Right-wing groups are on the Centre’s watch list. After the violent protests by Hindu groups in Jammu and the riots in Orissa, intelligence agencies have been asked to gather data on what they call the upsurge of right-wing militancy. “This may not necessarily lead to banning the outfits,” said a senior intelligence official. But he admitted that such an exercise was usually taken up in the run-up to banning an organisation. “This was done before the Students’ Islamic Movement of India (Simi) was placed under a ban. The intelligence agencies are expected to gather all available data on the organisation from all over the country, the incidents where its involvement is suspected/proven and the known leaders and their activities,” the official said. The groups under watch include the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Defence Force and the Hindu Munnani. Intelligence agencies are also keeping watch on the RSS and the Shiv Sena. For the past few months, the CPM, Samajwadi Party and UPA partners like the RJD have been asking for a ban on the activities of these right-wing organisations. Recently, minister of state for home Sriprakash Jaiswal wrote to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayavati suggesting that she recommend a CBI probe into an explosion in Kanpur on Janmashtami in which two suspected Bajrang Dal activists were killed. High-intensity explosives, including ammonium nitrate, were found at the blast site. In April 2006, bomb blasts were reported at the house of an RSS activist in Nanded, Maharashtra. It was suspected that RSS workers were manufacturing bombs to take on Simi cadre. In February this year, Tamil Nadu police arrested three Hindu Munnani activists for triggering blasts on Republic Day-eve.