National Security Advisor M K Narayanan has suggested a ban on Bajrang Dal may not be sustainable and refused to term the Sangh Parivar outfit and SIMI [Images] as two sides of the same coin, leaving Railway Minister Lalu Prasad peeved and prompting the BJP to speak of another disconnect between the NSA and the government.

Replying to a pointed question about a ban on Bajrang Dal, he told NDTV more number of Dal activists should be arrested "based on the information we have ... you can ban it but you will then not be able to sustain it".

He said as was the case with SIMI.  "The evidences collected over a long period of time got up on procedural matters....you may get a vicarious pleasure of saying banned or not banned. What you need is to prevent them from acting and I think that is what needs to be done," he said.

"You cannot ban an organization unless you build your case against it," he said.

The NSA said there was a need to effectively deal with organisations like SIMI and Bajrang Dal "because then there are many copycat organisations ... several micro units of the same kind may come up".

Responding to another specific question, he said, "SIMI and Bajrang Dal are not two sides of the same coin, but both of them are dangerous."

Narayanan said he was a firm believer that militant outfits "under whatever dispensation they are, should be banned".