May need to use special forces against Naxals: Home Minister

“But,it may — and I want to underline the word may — become necessary to induct special forces of the Army,like the para-commandos,to supplement the efforts of para-military and state police. If such a need is felt,we might consider that,” Chidambaram said.

A major assault against Naxalite groups,which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as the gravest threat to India’s internal security,is expected towards the end of the year. With central para-military forces over-stretched,there have been reports that the government might call in the Army to quell the Naxal upsurge.

On Pakistan’s continued reluctance to take action against Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Saeed,whom India sees as the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks,Chidambaram said there was not much New Delhi could do apart from “relentlessly pursuing” it with the Pakistani establishment.

“I can only see the tunnel. I cannot see the end of it,” he said when asked if there was any hope that Pakistan would act against Saeed. “We will continue to follow the procedures of law. We are hoping that someone in Pakistan would wake up to the fact that they have to observe internationally accepted rules of laws and start investigations into the leads provided by India.”

Asked if India would ask for access to investigate the case on Pakistani territory,Chidambaram said,“When they have denied access to the FBI,which is legally obliged to investigate the killing of every American anywhere in the world,would they give access to us?”

Speaking about efforts being made to enhance India’s capability to fight terror,Chidambaram said a separate intelligence wing was being created in the National Investigating Agency (NIA),set up in the aftermath of 26/11,for crimes with inter-state or international ramifications like terror,money laundering or narcotics smuggling.