The Indian news website Rediff has alleged that Sri Lanka has become the new recruiting ground for the Inter Services Intelligence, commonly known as ISI. Citing no evidence whatsoever, but a “source”, it has stated that the formation of the Bodu Bala Sena in 2012 was a crucial point in the ISI strategy.

Rediff states that ISI was unable to gain a foothold in the country until then “partly because of the strength of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which never allowed outsiders to set foot in Sri Lanka.” Apparently, the website regards the LTTE more powerful than the Sri Lankan armed forces in protecting external forces entering Sri Lanka. It has conveniently forgotten that this so called 'powerful outfit' was totally defeated by the Sri Lankan forces in 2009.

According to Rediff, the BBS is creating a sense of insecurity in the minds of the Muslims, so that the Muslims in Sri Lanka will be potential recruits for the ISI. Then, according to this narrative of Rediff, the ISI wants to use these Sri Lankan Muslim recruits to attack South India, not their “enemy” the BBS.

“According to a source, the ISI’s Colombo module began to strengthen only after the BBS came into prominence” Rediff states. Furthermore, citing a “source,” Rediff says ““They needed to set up a full-fledged network in the country only with an intention of targeting Southern India. The arrest of Arun Selvarajan is another reminder of how the ISI is trying to push its south India agenda,”

Apparently, according to Rediff, ISI has recruited Selvaranjan (not a Muslim but a Tamil) who is also said to be a former LTTE member, and hence a member of the outfit which kept ISI out of Sri Lanka in the first place.

“They sought to set up a dedicated route between Colombo and the Kodikarrai fishing port in Tamil Nadu to use it as a dedicated smuggling route to pump in drugs, arms and ammunition, and also to send in cadres,” Rediff states quoting the “source” once again. It adds that the security around Kodikarrai port is questionable, hinting that the Indian Coast Guard is not doing its job properly.