IS could influence very few youths in India: Government

The Islamic State (IS) terror outfit could influence very few youths from India, Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Citing the number of Indian youths arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and state police forces, Chaudhary said: "The NIA and police in some states have registered cases and arrested some active cadres affiliated to IS in the recent past."

The minister said the NIA has arrested 25 IS cadres while police in different states have so far arrested 24 people.

Chaudhary informed the house that Maharashtra Police arrested four people for their affiliation with IS -- that split from the Al Qaeda in February 2014 and is being headed by Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadiwhile -- followed by Delhi (4), Karnataka (1), Madhya Pradesh (5), Tamil Nadu (3), Telangana (6) and Rajasthan (1).

He said the IS was using various internet-based platforms to propagate its ideology.

"Intelligence and security agencies monitor the cyber space closely to identify potential recruits and keep them under surveillance and take further action, if necessary," Chaudhary said.

To assess the threat posed by the IS and to devise a national strategy to deal with it, the minister said the home ministry organised two separate meetings with all the central agencies concerned and the state governments on August 1, 2015 and on January 1, 2016, respectively.

"The government has taken all necessary measures including sensitisation of the states to counter the incipient threat posed by the IS."

--IANS

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