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| Rajnath Singh in Guwahati on Saturday. (PTI) |
Nov. 29: Rajnath Singh today named the Islamic State as a “threat to India” for the first time, a day after Arif Majeed of Maharashtra returned from Iraq having spent months as a soldier of the terrorist organisation.
The Union home minister, who has so far only hinted at the IS, said in Guwahati: “Among the threats to India from overseas… is ISIS which was born in Iraq and Syria but is looking at the Indian sub-continent. That some Indian youth are attracted by it is a matter of concern for us.”
The IS was earlier known as ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Rajnath’s naming the IS follows the arrest of 22-year-old Majeed, a final-year civil engineering student, by the National Investigation Agency last night. Intelligence sources said he appeared “highly radicalised” and may have been helped by the IS itself to return home to begin its India operations.
Speaking at the annual conference of DGPs and IGPs, Rajnath also touched on the threat from al Qaida in but appeared confident such outfits would not make headway.
“If they think they will find many supporters because India has a large population of Muslims, they are mistaken. During India’s struggle for Independence, people of all religions fought together….”
Intelligence Bureau director Asif Ibrahim, however, rung a warning note. He said since the IS was recruiting youths via the Internet, taking preventive action would be tough. The IS’s use of cyberspace had raised the risk of “lone-wolf attacks”, he said.
In New Delhi, home ministry officials said the Centre was trying to form a strategy to de-radicalise youths indoctrinated by outfits such as the IS. Security agencies were handling Majeed’s case as an “ideal” case study, they said.
“Our security agencies are handling Majeed patiently, showing a lot of sympathy for his plight and trying to extract as much information as possible,” an official said.
It was obvious that the government had taken Majeed’s case seriously, he said, pointing out that both Rajnath and Ibrahim had voiced concern at youths being lured by the IS.
“The Centre is preparing a calibrated counter-radicalisation plan to de-radicalise youths. It is being done in consultation with several states. This is the only way to bring back youths from terrorism and check the foray of educated youths into terrorism.”
Majeed is being questioned by officials from the NIA, IB and RAW at an undisclosed location. “He is likely to be flown to Delhi tonight where he will be questioned by the national security adviser, Ajit Doval, on Monday,” the official said.
He claimed Majeed had told interrogators some other youths had joined the IS.
“By questioning him, we want to know the strategies terror groups employ to lure youths to leave home and fight in a foreign land. It’s an enigma for security agencies even abroad,” an IB official said.
An NIA official added: “We want to understand the design of IS, its inter-linkages with the Indian Mujahideen or Simi and if it has any patronage from Pakistani agencies or subversive groups.”
Asked if Majeed would be let off after questioning, the IB official said: “The home ministry has the final answer. Even if he is released, security agencies will keep him under close watch.”
An NIA source said Majeed was starting to open up. “We are treating his case with extreme care.”
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