CM seeks plan to tackle ‘extremism’

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 19

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged Home Minister Rajnath Singh to prepare a comprehensive strategy to deal with the “re-emergence of extremism” in the state, amid reports that Sikh youths were being trained at ISI facilities in Pakistan.

During the 30-minute meeting, the CM apprised Rajnath of the law and order situation in Punjab, including issues related to attempts to create disturbance through targeted killings, a senior officer in the Home Ministry said.

Capt Amarinder suggested strengthening of the intelligence apparatus, besides action against handlers based in Canada, UK, US, Italy and Germany, who were actively engaged in activities for the revival of terrorism.

The Home Minister assured the CM to look into the state’s demands under the Modernisation of Police Force (MPF) Scheme. Citing the state’s security concerns, Capt Amarinder reiterated the demand for Central assistance to modernise the force, a spokesperson for the state government said.

He batted for designating Punjab as a “Category-A state” for financial assistance at 90:10 Centre-State sharing on the pattern of Jammu and Kashmir and eight north-eastern states. He sought the allocation of additional funds to Punjab under the MPF Scheme for “strengthening of the State Special Branch “ for various law and order challenges being faced by the state, such as proxy war, trans-border terrorism and infiltration of drugs, weapons and explosives.

During the discussion, Capt Amarinder said a number of targeted killings had taken place over the past one-and-a-half years.

He underlined the need to counter “activities on social media” aimed at disturbing peace and stability in the state. He put forth his opinion before the Home Minister that strengthening the state government’s “Connect with Your Roots” programme would also help in controlling such activities.

The Home Ministry had recently told a parliamentary panel that Sikh youths were being trained at ISI facilities in Pakistan to carry out terror activities in India. Senior ministry officials also told the Committee on Estimates, headed by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, that Sikh youths settled in Europe, the US and Canada were being “misguided and instigated against India with false and malicious propaganda”. The CM appreciated the support being provided by the Central agencies in probing targetted killings. The NIA is investigating these killings, suspected to be carried out as part of a conspiracy to disturb communal harmony in the state, another officer said.

The CM and the Home Minister also discussed the steps taken to tackle the situation in a coordinated manner, the spokesperson added.

Wants intelligence apparatus fortified

• The CM suggested the strengthening of the intelligence apparatus and action against handlers abroad, who were ‘engaged in activities for revival of terrorism’.
• The Home Ministry had recently said Sikh youths were being trained at ISI facilities in Pakistan to carry out terror activities in India. 
• Officials also said Sikh youths settled in Europe, the US and Canada were being instigated against India.