Outgoing Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Wednesday said terror cannot be linked to any religion, and that he objected to the term “saffron terror”. “If one, or two, or 20 persons of a religion are involved in terror acts, the whole religion cannot be blamed for it,” Mehrishi said, according to The Times of India. “There is nothing called Hindu terror or saffron terror. Terror is terror.”
Mehrishi’s comments come after Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya were released on bail in the 2008 Malegaon and Samjhauta Express blast cases – both were called incidents of “saffron terror”.
He further said there was “no doubt” that Pakistan was sponsoring militancy in Jammu and Kashmir to spread unrest in India. He said India had stressed it several times that it was open for dialogue on Kashmir with Pakistan.
“I don’t think that any talks can take place with pre-conditions,” he told PTI in an interview.
He also claimed that Pakistan was providing shelter to fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and creating hurdles for India to bring him back. “Pakistan is working against India,” he told PTI. “The legal process is on. We will get him at an opportune time.”
Mehrishi, who retires on Thursday, will be replaced by Rajiv Gauba. Gauba was appointed an officer on special duty in the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier in 2017.
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