ABSTRACT
The new Congress-led UPA coalition government that took office in May 2004 had to cope with a spurt in terror and violent attacks during its five-year term. This was due to several reasons: an intensification of attacks in India’s major cities (including the ‘spectacular’ attack on Mumbai in November 2008), the rise in home-grown Indian jihadi terrorism, along with terror attacks by Hindutva extremist groups, and, for the first time, an attack on an Indian diplomatic mission abroad. In addition, violence continued in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-east. The ultra-left wing Maoist Naxalites also expanded their influence in eastern and central India.
