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NEW DELHI: At least 10 people, who were allegedly involved in a spate of terror attacks in different parts of the country, had links with RSS or its affiliated organisations, Union home secretary R K Singh said today.

" Yes, during investigation of Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid and (Ajmer) Dargah Sharif blasts, we have found at least 10 names who have been associated with the RSS at some point or the other," he told reporters.

Singh was replying to a question on whether government has any evidence linking RSS with any person involved in any terrorist strike anywhere in the country as claimed by home minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

"We have evidence against them. There are statements of witnesses," he said. The home secretary also made public the names of the ten persons who were allegedly involved in terror attacks and also had links with RSS.

The names given out by Singh included that of Sunil Joshi (dead), who was allegedly involved in Samjhauta Express and Ajmer Sharif Dargah blasts. He was an "activist of RSS" in Dewas and Mhow from 1990s to 2003.

Sandeep Dange (absconding), who was allegedly involved in Samjhauta Express and Mecca Masjid and Ajmer Sharif Dargah explosions. He was "RSS pracharak" in Mhow, Indore, Uttarkashi and Sajhapur from 1990s to 2006. However, in his statement, Gadkari claimed that he had committed no wrong or any impropriety either directly or indirectly.

"Yet the UPA government has been making an effort to spread disinformation about me in order to hurt me and my party. I have always said that I am willing for any independent inquiry.

"I shall fight these efforts of the government, both politically and legally," he said in a statement on a day the IT department surveyed 11 locations of shell companies which had allegedly invested money in his Purti Group.

Ever since social activist Arvind Kejriwal and others came out with allegations about his links with irrigation scam and later the financial wrongdoings by his Purti Group, Gadkari came under attack from senior party MPs like Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha, Ram Jethmalani and his son Mahesh Jethmalani.

Ram Jethmalani, in fact, triggered the demand for Gadkari’s resignation when he shot off a letter to him and was later joined by two Sinhas. Another senior leader Jaswant Singh is also said to have backed these leaders.

The final nail in Gadkari’s coffin came when senior leader L K Advani made it clear to RSS top brass that it would be untenable for him to continue in the post at a time when BJP is leading a campaign against the Congress-led UPA over corruption issue.

In fact, the chill between the two was quite evident this evening when Advani and Gadkari were seated side by side at a party programme in Uttan near Mumbai but did not exchange a word.

Yashwant Sinha created a flutter this evening when he procured a nomination form and voters’ list from Chief Electoral Officer, Thawar Chand Gehlot. Earlier in the day, Mahesh Jethmalani, who yesterday threatened to contest against Gadkari, today claimed that he was denied a nomination form to prevent him. A candidate for the BJP Presidential poll should have been an active member of the party for 12 consecutive years and an ordinary member for 15 years. He would also need atleast 20 proposers each from five different state units, which adds upto 100.