As Elections Near, India Faces Security Threats

Experts say the police appear to be clueless and there was a clear lack of coordination between different state police forces.

A string of deadly bombings that killed scores of people this year has underscored India's security vulnerabilities and experts predict more attacks in the months before general elections, despite a police crackdown.

Dozens of suspects, mainly young Muslims, have been arrested since September. The police claim they belong to the Indian Mujahideen (IM), a home-grown group backed by Pakistan, which has claimed responsibility for most bombings since 2007.

But experts and police say some IM militants behind the bombings still operate secretly and many are at large.

"They have not been able to arrest the brain behind the bombings which is a big concern and until they do so, more attacks can happen," said B. Raman, a former head of India's external spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing.

Muslim leaders and some rights groups have raised questions on the police crackdown, saying it has also led to a witch hunt against Muslims to show progress in its anti-terrorist war.

Thousands of Muslims have protested the crackdown. In India there is deep suspicion about claims by the police, often accused of fabricating evidence and confessions as well as shooting suspects in cold blood.

Police say the arrests were genuine. They have been working on clues since IM formed in 2005 and they made their first breakthrough in September this year with a series of arrests.

The government must be hoping the police are right.

SECOND TO IRAQ

The failure of the Congress-led government so far to provide security to the people could hurt them in the ensuing elections, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party making it a major election issue.

The ruling government alliance faces a stern test during elections in six Indian states from November this year, ahead of general elections by May.

Bombs and other attacks have hit India with such regularity that, according to the National Counter-terrorism Centre in Washington, 3,674 people have been killed between January 2004 and March 2007. That includes Kashmir and the troubled northeast and puts India second to Iraq in bomb and terrorist attacks during that period, the centre says.

"Things have never looked so bad. We have never seen such an abysmal security system in the country and this will definitely hurt the government in elections," Major General Ashok Mehta, a security analyst told Reuters.

Experts say the police appear to be clueless and there was a clear lack of coordination between different state police forces, each claiming they have a mastermind in their hands.

Just when the police said things were getting better, serial bombs killed 84 people and wounded 300 in the northeastern state of Assam last week.

Security analysts and politicians said the latest attack, exposed India's poor intelligence network and collective failure to prevent such attacks.

"What we do not know is (if) there are more modules reporting to their leader and are still a threat here," said Karnal Singh, the joint commissioner of Delhi Police, adding they were looking for at least 15 more bombers.

India's political parties have already stepped up their attacks on the government on the issue of internal security, a major poll issue for the opposition.

"In the last four years, the government has completely failed to curb rising militancy in the country," said Prakash Javdekar, spokesman and lawmaker of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, India's main opposition.

"Ordinary people are feeling insecure and this could have an impact on the prospect of the Congress party during next elections," Prakash Karat, leader of the CPI-M party, the largest communist party in India said.