NEW DELHI : Government today described the threat posed by the IS as very serious but expressed satisfaction that a very negligible number of minority community youth in the country might be involved in the activities of the banned organisation. Responding to Lok Sabha members’ concern over the danger from the radical Islamist movement in Syria and Iraq, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said a committee was also being set up for monitoring Twitter and other social media being misused by those supporting the philosophy of IS and other radical movement and bodies.
He also assured the House that no innocent youth of the minority community would be harassed and punished in the name of curbing IS activities.
The Minister’s remarks came while replying to supplementaries during Question Hour over the activities of IS and Al Qaeda.
Mr Singh also congratulated the families of minority youths for discouraging them from supporting and acting for IS.
“We have taken it (IS threat) very seriously. But only a handful of minority youths are involved in it, and rather their number is negligible. Moreover, it also cannot be said they have definite involvement in the activities of the organisation,” he said.
The Home Minister pointed out that the IS had already been banned under the Unlawful Activities Act and under various UN resolutions to which India was a party.
The Home Minister said: “We are very cautious, as I have already said in the recent DGPs conference that IS is a very dangerous organisation and it is crucial that it should not be allowed to find feet in the country.” Mr Singh said the issue of misuse of cyber space was also serious and more measures were needed for its monitoring and a committee was being set up for the purpose. Earlier, Mr Singh’s deputy Kiren Rijiju said so far only two cases of Indian youths involved in IS activities had come in public domain — of one youth in Bangalore and four youths in Maharashtra.
“Besides these, there are no specific cases,” he said. Mr Rijiju said various agencies of the government were dealing with the matter fully congnizant of the sensitivity of the matter. Since, the subject is very sensitive, the government could discuss all the details in the House. But, he said, “There is nothing much to be worried about.”
(AGENCIES)
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