While Lt Gen A S Khanna, Chief of Staff, Southern Command, maintained that the blasts were testimony to the fact that ISI was fast spreading its ``tentacles'' in the southern states, Tamil Nadu's Director General of Police, F C Sharma, totally ruled out the ISI involvement. ``The investigations so far have not indicated any ISI involvement,'' he said.

These exchange of remarks came at a meeting of the Civil Military Liasion Conference here today. Inaugurating the conference, Khanna said that arms, ammunition, militants and narcotics were continuing to flow across the country's borders and extended from Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir to Rajasthan and Gujarat from the sea. ``Now they are finding their way into Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh,'' he said. Khanna said ISI was quick to cash in on any known or perceived ``grievances'' ofMuslims in India.

Sharma, pointing out at the recent Ganesh processions passing off peacefully, refuted that there was an ISI involvement in the Coimbatore blasts. He said the caste clashes in the state had also come down of late and claimed that the law and order situation was ``satisfactory'' in the state.

Khanna said that in the immediate future, Pakistan would be a major security threat to the country. ``Pakistan sees itself as holding the initiative and that is why it has launched its proxy war,'' he said, adding, that during the last ten years, Pakistan's Armed Force had added 22 per cent extra manpower and equipment as against zero growth by India.

``Although Tamil Nadu has by and large been peaceful but for the disturbances in Coimbatore last year, there is a need to closely monitor ISI activities in the neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala,'' he said, adding, that the interaction between Army and Tamil Nadu government on this aspect deserved high priority.

Khanna said the use ofArmy in the internal security had adverse repercussions on the equipment, training and operational preparedness and also on the efficacy of the local police force. Troops stationed in Tamil Nadu came here for a two or three year tenure after a hard tenure either in North East or Jammu and Kashmir or Siachen. During their stay in the state, they were expected to prepare for a war in the desert and the primary tasks of training and operational readiness continued. ``We also want them to use this opportunity of a small break from the field areas to deal with and resolve their domestic problems,'' he said.