ISIS no threat, youth radicalisation must be controlled: Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that the Islamic State (IS) will not have any further impact on India. Addressing the Fourth Counter Terrorism Conference on 'Changing Contours of Global Terror' here, Rajnath Singh said, "The on-going propaganda by IS has significantly altered jihadi discourse in India, which so far was rooted in grievances against the Indian state/society. I am, however, happy that Indian social fabric has not been affected by the emergence of Islamic State and I am sure this will not have any further impact in our country." He, however, added that terrorism, in all forms, including, Left Wing Extremism, insurgency, poses a challenge to the national sovereignty of India. "India is already facing a serious challenge due to relentless efforts of Pak sponsored anti-India Islamist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM)," the Union Home Minister said. He asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Union Government has placed security and safety as its top priority and that is why a new division has been created in the Home Ministry exclusively to deal with Counter-Terrorism. "Cross-border-infiltration has been minimized due to better border management.

The government allocated substantial funds to the police modernisation programmes. Regional hubs of National Security Guard (NSG) battalions have been raided in important strategic locations, to meet any unforeseen challenges. Demonetisation has choked funding patterns of various terrorist outfits," Singh said. He said many countries of the world have taken measures to check and control the radicalisation of youth. "I am happy that India has timely busted some modules that were planning to orchestrate terrorist attacks on her soil," the Union Home Minister said. Maintaining that terrorism, indeed, has become a global phenomenon posing a major threat to international peace, security and stability; Singh said, "Access to advanced technology has given terror groups enormous strength. Terrorism constitutes one of the principal challenges at the global, regional and national levels and has become a key factor in national security planning." Without naming Pakistan, the Union Home Minister said providing sponsorship and safe havens have further played a major role in the phenomenal growth of global terrorism. "Any effort to counter the activities of terrorist groups carries the danger of placing the victim nation in direct confrontation with the host nation and its resources," Singh said. The Minister observed that perception of 'Global Terrorism' has undergone a massive makeover in the recent few years with the rise of violent armed terror groups especially in the Middle East, South Asia and the African continent. "The Boko-Haram-IS alliance primarily seeks to enhance the idea of global jihad with an aggressive brand of terror and footprint of Caliphate into Africa, through innovative measures," Singh said. The Union Home Minister called for cooperation and coordination from member countries, to make this Globe safer and secure. A 26-year-old man hailing from Bhadradri-Kothagudem district of Telangana, who was allegedly radicalised into the Islamic State ideology, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on March 12, police said. "It is learnt that MD Toufeeq, a native of Manguru died in an encounter with security forces on the intervening night of March 11-12 inHakura area of Anantnag district along with two other Kashmiri militants," a release from Telangana police said tonight. He (Toufeeq)was radicalised into the Islamic State ideology through social media and went to Kashmir to participate in terrorist activities of ISIS, according to the release. It clarified that he was not wanted in any of the criminal cases in Telangana. However, further details were being verified, it added. A J&K police spokesman had earlier said during an anti-militancy operation launched during late night of March 11that continued till pre-dawn of the next day, three militants were killed by security forces. Two ofthe slain militants were identified as Eesa Fazli of Srinagar and Syed Owais of Kokernag in Anantnag, while the identity of the third militant was being ascertained.