News Analysis India

Tag: infiltration

  • India Will Enter Pakistan To Kill Terrorists If They Flee There: Rajnath Singh |

    NEW DELHI: In a resolute warning to terror outfits, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has affirmed India’s commitment to thwarting terrorism, even if it means crossing the borders. Responding to recent allegations and echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertive stance, Singh stated that India would pursue terrorists who seek refuge in Pakistan after perpetrating acts of violence in India. “20 terrorists ko maara hai? Koi bhi terrorist hamare padosi desh se yadi Bharat ko disturb karne ki koshish karega, ya yahan par aatankwadi harkatein karega, to uska muh tod jawab denge. Yadi woh bhaag kar Pakistan mein jayega, to Pakistan mein ghus kar maarenge (Did you say we killed 20 terrorists? If any terrorist from Pakistan tries to disturb India, or commits terrorist acts here, we will give a befitting response. If he runs away to Pakistan, we will go there and kill him),” Rajnath Singh while speaking to a private media house.

    No Tolerance For Terrorism: Rajnath

    Singh emphasized India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, asserting that the country will not hesitate to take decisive action against those who disturb its peace. He reiterated India’s desire for peaceful relations with neighbouring countries but underscored the nation’s readiness to respond firmly to any threat to its security.

    Escalating Tensions

    Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following the 2019 Pulwama attack, which India attributed to Pakistan-based militants. The subsequent airstrikes by India on terrorist targets in Pakistan further strained relations between the two nations.

    International Allegations

    Recent allegations, particularly highlighted by UK-based media outlet The Guardian, have accused India of extrajudicial killings in Pakistan. These claims have sparked international scrutiny and contributed to the ongoing diplomatic friction between India and Pakistan. The Guardian report came months after Canada and the US accused India of killing or attempting to kill Khalistani terrorists in those countries. Canada said in September that it was pursuing “credible allegations” linking India to the death of a Sikh separatist leader shot dead in June – claims that India said were “absurd and motivated”. A top Canadian official said in January that India was cooperating in the matter and bilateral ties were improving. Similarly, the US said in November that it had thwarted an Indian plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader and announced charges against a person it said had worked with India to orchestrate the attempted murder.

    Denial And Counterclaims

    New Delhi, however, maintains that targeted killings in other countries are not a policy of the Indian government. The Ministry of External Affairs has reiterated its stand that it has no role to play in these killings. The MEA claimed that they were ‘false and malicious anti-India propaganda’. 

    Despite these tensions, efforts to improve bilateral relations have been observed, with India expressing a willingness to cooperate in investigations. Both Canada and the US have acknowledged India’s cooperation in addressing the allegations, signalling a potential thaw in diplomatic relations.

    Prime Minister Modi has reiterated India’s commitment to investigating any information regarding alleged extraterritorial activities. This commitment underscores India’s adherence to the rule of law and its determination to address accusations transparently.

  • Will fulfil Shah’s Lok Sabha seat target in West Bengal: Majumdar

    The BJP’s West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar has flagged the issue of infiltration and said his party will contest the upcoming general election in the state on the planks of “large-scale corruption” of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and the performance of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

    “Infiltration is the biggest challenge faced by Bengal and it is a question of how the state can be saved,” Majumdar told ET in an exclusive interview. “The law and order situation is precarious in West Bengal, especially in some parts like the border area of Sandeshkhali. Demography in these bordering regions has completely changed over the years since independence. If we compare the census in 1947 and the last census in 2011, there is a huge change in the demography due to infiltration.”

    Poll Planks”We will fight the Lok Sabha polls on two issues – large-scale corruption of Trinamool Congress and PM Narendra Modi’s performance in the last few years and Modi’s developmental model,” Majumdar said.

    Talking about candidate selection for the upcoming polls, he said, “We will consider certain factors during candidate selection for Lok Sabha polls – whether they are associated with the party’s work actively, ideological background and clean image. These three factors will be considered with utmost importance during candidate selection.”

    While inducting new workers into the party, the BJP aims to focus on fresh faces with a clean image, he said. “Fresh faces will be taken into the party. We will not accept rotten potatoes. We will rather focus on fresh faces and karyakartas (workers) instead of leaders,” he said.The BJP has worked hard to build an organisational base in the state in the past few years, Majumdar said. “We have built a strong organisational structure and the number of people in the booths is far higher than that in 2019. We have become stronger and booths have also been strengthened. We will be able to fulfil the target set by Amit Shah for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” he said.Shah has fixed a target of winning 35 out of the 42 seats in the state in the Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had won 18 seats, up from two seats in 2014.

    Rohingyas

    “There is a presence of Rohingyas in Sandeshkhali area. People like Shahjahan Sheikh have given place in the area to the Rohingyas in and around the fisheries and they are used by the Trinamool Congress politically. The Trinamool Congress government in Bengal is aware of it but they are silent on the matter. It is an open secret,” Majumdar said, adding that large tracts of areas where fisheries are run in Sandeshkhali and adjacent areas are a haven of illegal and anti-social activities.

    Talking about the central government’s intervention on AITC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, Majumdar said, “It should be an administrative decision as to what kind of central intervention is required to control these kind of incidents. The Centre should intervene in the matter depending on the law of the land.”

    Majumdar had written a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah last Friday, seeking intervention of the Centre and National Investigation Agency probe into the attack on Enforcement Directorate officials who went to raid Sheikh’s residence in connection with alleged Public Distribution System case. The officials were attacked and suffered serious injuries during the attack. “It is not only merely an attack on the Enforcement Directorate but an attack on the Constitution of India and sovereignty of the country,” said Majumdar.