India vulnerable to ISIS activities, says Home Minister Rajnath Singh

GUWAHATI: Union home minister Rajnath Singh has said India can no longer remain unaffected by growing Islamic terror designs, pointing to instances of some youth in India falling under the influence of Islamic State (ISIS) forces. ISIS has set up bases in Iraq and Syria and the Indian subcontinent cannot remain unaffected by it, said Singh addressing the annual conference of DGPs and IGPs in Guwahati on Saturday.

Singh added that state actors like intelligence agency ISI of Pakistan are working to destabilize India. Expressing concern over Islamic terror groups, Singh said the call for Jihad against India by outfits such as the Al-Qaeda cannot be taken lightly.

“We should consider threats of turning India into an Islamic country a challenge.” As evidence, Singh pointed to the case of 24-year-old Areeb Majeed of Mumbai who is accused of joining jihadists in Syria.

Singh, however, said insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir has declined. “Recruitment of youth in insurgent outfits has declined. However Pakistan is still not yielding and has maintained that trouble in J&K is due to non-state actors. Is ISI a non-state actor?”

The home minister added there is a considerable decline in violence in the Left wing extremism-affected areas. “The Northeast India situation continues to be worrisome with ethnic clashes and militancy. The region has around 75 to 100 militant outfits, several of which are in talks with government. Some have ceased operation and in some cases cadres of these outfits are engaged in extortion.”