Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday held a meeting with top Muslim clerics and sought their cooperation to check the attempts of radicalisation of the youth by terror modules — including ISIS propagandists. The hour-long meeting was attended by NSA Ajit Doval and the IB and MHA top brass. The clerics were apprised of the activities of the West-Asia terrorist group and its efforts to attract Indian youth, especially from Muslim-dominated areas.
The Home Minister sought the cooperation of the clerics, who offered all help to the Government in this regard, official sources said. The issues that were discussed included misuse of social media, sources of impetus that attract persons, specially youth, to ISIS, the growth of ISIS influence in India’s neighbourhood and the best possible law enforcement response.
Those who attended the meeting, include Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind’s Maulana Arshad Madani, Maulana Abdul Wahid Hussain Chisti of Ajmer Sharif, Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi of Jamiat Ahle Hadees, Tauqeer Raza Khan, Rafiq Warshiq, Shia leader Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawad Qalbe Jawaid, Kamal Farooqi, Mushafa Faruqi, besides others.
In his remarks, the Home Minister said India’s traditions and family values will overcome such nefarious designs of terrorist groups and that while the traction that ISIS has got in India is extremely limited, and almost insignificant in comparison to other countries, there is a need to keep up vigil on all fronts, and not let down the guard in any manner. This was for the first time that the Home Minister had a meeting with Muslim clerics on the issue of ISIS.
According to MHA officials, the Home Minister is expected to reach out to prominent Muslim leaders from South India also. Politicians like AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi may be roped in to appeal to youth against radical propaganda, especially those coming through social media and other internet platforms.
As per the Home Ministry statistics, a majority of the incidents of youth getting attracted to ISIS came from South Indian states. According to Indian intelligence agencies, a total of 23 Indians have so far joined the ISIS of whom six were reportedly killed in different incidents in Iraq-Syria. Around 150 Indians are under surveillance for their alleged online links with ISIS. As many as 30 other Indians, who were radicalised by ISIS elements, were prevented from travelling to the conflict zone in the West-Asia.