Bhubaneswar: The Centre on Thursday brushed aside reports of an al-Qaeda presence in India.
"There has been no report of any al-Qaeda presence in our country though we know of some terrorist groups targeting economic and other infrastructure," Union Home Secretary V K Duggal was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
Israel has warned tourists visiting Goa during the Christmas holidays face a "concrete threat" of an al-Qaeda attack and advised its citizens against travelling to the beach.
Duggal, in response to a question at a news conference in Delhi, assured that he denied al-Qaeda presence in the country with full responsibility.
The possibility of militant strikes are there during the festive season and "we beef up our security systems during such times and instruct the states accordingly", he added.
When asked about the north-east, Duggal said the government was willing to talk to the banned ULFA in Assam.
"The government is ready to talk to any group. Let them make a formal approach, let it come from their leaders. But the conditions are that they must abjure violence and there should be no questions on the sovereignty issue," PTI quoted Duggal as saying.
Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is concerned about this and he represents Assam in Parliament, he added.
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