Those caught in the Malegoan conspiracy do not fit the conventional profile of terrorists. The key players are oddballs who harboured personal grievances including rivalry and revenge rather than single-minded devotion to their cause.

No rehab plan

After her fall from grace, former Congress general secretary Margaret Alva met both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Her meeting with Rahul lasted almost an hour and some of her supporters took this as a sign that she will eventually be rehabilitated. But there is little evidence on the ground that that Alva has been forgiven. When a stamp to commemorate Alva’s in-laws was released in Parliament’s Central Hall recently, no one from the Congress was present.