Defending Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's "Hindu terror" jibe at the BJP-RSS, Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy today said those who created an atmosphere of terror in the society were called terrorists.

"He (Siddaramaiah) had said extremism...those who create an atmosphere of terror in the society are called terrorists.

Their (BJP-RSS) conduct is also like that," he told reporters in Mangaluru.

Referring to certain controversial remarks of BJP MPs Pratap Simha and Shobha Karandlage and Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde, Reddy said looking at all this, it was clear that the intention of these people was to disturb peace in the society.

"Those who create an atmosphere of fear among people are called terrorists, the chief minister's statement was in that direction," he added.

In a no-holds barred attack, Siddaramaiah had on January 10 alleged that the BJP, RSS and Bajrang Dal had terrorists within their organisations, a charge rubbished by the saffron party.

"They themselves are like terrorists in a way. The BJP, RSS and Bajrang Dal also have terrorists within," he had said, taking his attack on the Congress' principal political rival to a new level, ahead of the state Assembly polls due early this year.

After coming under an intense attack from the BJP for his remarks, Siddaramaiah had yesterday called those associated with the saffron party "Hindutva extremists".

Reddy earlier held a meeting with senior police officials of the Dakshina Kannada region for the second day.

On the repeated violent communal incidents in the region, the home minister said the police department was functioning "efficiently, there is 100 per cent no failure on their part".

"Things will be fine if organisations here keep a silence and allow people to live peacefully, whether it is the PFI or SDPI or Bajrang Dal or RSS or BJP or Sriram Sene," he said.

The BJP has been demanding a ban on Islamist outfit PFI and its political wing SDPI, holding them responsible for a spate of killings of Hindutva activists in the coastal Dakshina Kannada district.

On the other hand, the PFI has blamed Sangh Parivar outfits for the killing of Muslims in the region.