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IS-related activities in State on govt radar, says Home minister

Last Updated 26 November 2015, 19:56 IST

Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said the State government had taken serious note of Islamic State-related activities involving a few youths from Karnataka.

“The Home Department has some confidential data which can’t be disclosed. The Central Intelligence agencies have some vital information about IS activities in Karnataka,” Parameshwara said, answering questions related to the recent data released by the Ministry of Home Affairs about the killing of three youths from Karnataka while they were fighting for the IS sometime ago.

“We are keeping a close watch on the background of the trio and are inquiring. We are trying to ascertain if there is any recruiting agent for the IS in the State. We will initiate measures to prevent youth from being radicalised,” he said.

He said the State government was much concerned about the rising incidents of intolerance. “There are some fundamental Hindus who are responsible for such incidents. Some people are increasingly questioning other faiths and this has posed the biggest challenge. However, such fundamental groups exist in all religions and countries,” he said.

Rahul interaction

Parameshwara was critical of the media coverage of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with the students at Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru. “Students answered some questions in the negative and some others in the affirmative. They answered in the affirmative for questions relating to the Swachh Bharat and Make in India campaign. What is the big deal about it?” he asked.

Students admitted that the BJP government at the Centre had failed to create two crore jobs it had promised during the poll campaign, but the media did not highlight it, he said.
Rahul Gandhi has decided to hold interactions with students of 100 colleges across the country and the State Congress unit has no role in his Mount Carmel College assignment, he said.

He reiterated that one of his top five priorities was the safety of women and children. “I clarified my roadmap for senior police officers at a high-level meeting recently. I have directed them to ensure safety measures for women and children. The crime rate in the State has come down drastically in the past three years,” he said, answering a question from a student.

Interaction with foreign students

Home Minister G Parameshwara had an interaction session with a delegation of students and teachers from Sweden and Singapore at the Vikasa Soudha on Thursday afternoon. The delegation comprised three teachers and eight students from Lerums Gymnasium, Lerum, Sweden, and two teachers and 11 students from Catholic Junior College, Singapore. They are in Bengaluru for projects on democracy and waste management. Christ Junior College had organised the interaction programme.

The college principal, two teachers and 12 students also attended the event. The students’ questions were about democracy in India, waste management in Bengaluru, religious tolerance, safety of women and children, development of Hyderabad-Karnataka region, poverty alleviation, drug peddling, slum situation in Bengaluru and Bengaluru’s status in future.

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(Published 26 November 2015, 19:56 IST)

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