Guwahati, November 29
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today denounced Pakistan for keeping Jammu and Kashmir on the boil and expressed concern over the global upsurge in Islamic terrorism. He said Pakistan continued to meddle in Jammu and Kashmir where, he said, there had been a marked improvement in the situation.

Welcoming Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the 49th annual conference of DGPs and IGPs of all state police forces and Central police organisations, Director of the Intelligence Bureau Syed Asif Ibrahim said the upsurge in Islamic terrorism in countries such as Syria and Iraq posed a challenge for the country as vulnerable youths were being lured into the ranks of these radical groups.

Inaugurating the conference, Rajnath Singh said, “Pakistan maintains that non-state actors from that country are involved in the trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. But I want to ask Pakistan whether ISI is also a non-state actor.”

On the upsurge in global Islamic terrorism, Rajnath said, “The Indian government is deeply concerned at the rise of terrorism under the banner of ISIS in Syria and Iraq as many Indian youths have been lured into its ranks through cyber propaganda launched by the group.” The Union Home Minister called upon the police forces to stand up to the challenge posed by terror groups.

He announced Rs 50 crore to set up a National Police Memorial in New Delhi as a mark of respect for the policemen who sacrificed their lives while serving the nation.

“The South Asian wing of Al-Qaida has claimed that they made an attempt to hijack a Pakistani naval frigate sometime earlier in order to attack Indian and US naval ships at sea. Our forces and intelligence agencies should be prepared to face such challenges,” Rajnath said.

The Home Minister said though the Maoist rebellion was on the wane, there was no room for complacency. “We want Maoists to be uprooted from all parts of the country,” Rajnath said.

The IB chief said sustained operations have put Maoists on the back foot in different states in the country. “The strength of the central committee of Maoists has declined from 39 members in 2004 to 20 as on date. The recruitment by Maoists has also declined while desertion from their ranks is on the rise,” Ibrahim said.

He said the high turnout in the ongoing Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir clearly showed the improvement in the state’s security scenario.

“An atmosphere conducive for elections has been created by adequate action taken by security forces and through effective anti-infiltration measures,” said the IB chief.

Rajnath hoped the conference would work out a special strategy to tackle insurgency in the North-East where the problem stems from social conflict and under-development. “Our government is fully committed to formulating a special development package for the North-East to facilitate all-encompassing development,” he said.

“Our government is for equipping the state police forces with modern technology to improve surveillance. There is a need to tackle the cyber campaign launched by global terror groups and for improving coastal line security in the country,” the Home Minister said.