New Delhi: In a virtual rejection of the criticism that US offer of FBI help to probe recent incidents of violence in Assam and Nagaland amounted to "interference", the Government today (Oct 6, 2004) said the offer was made as part of the bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism.

US Ambassador David C Mulford wrote a letter expressing his country's concern over these acts and extending the help was part of such cooperation, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said when asked about charges made by the opposition and Left allies of the ruling coalition that the offer amounted to "interference" in the internal matters of India.

However, he said it was for the Ministry of External Affairs to look into the offer.

Asked pointedly about the Centre's stand on the offer, a senior official of the Ministry took a guarded view saying the country had "fairly good" capabilities to investigate such matters but held this was not "rejection" of the offer.

"We have capabilities which are fairly good to look into such incidents ... But this is also not that it has been rejected," Special Secretary Anil Choudhary told reporters in New Delhi.

In his letter to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Mulford was quoted as having stated "should you find it helpful that the FBI should be pleased to provide technical support for investigation. I have also made this offer to Home Minister Shivraj Patil. I hope you will be free to contact me if there is any other way that we can be helpful."