Gujarat DGP Pramod Kumar Jha with Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi in New Delhi, Thursday.
Intelligence Bureau chief Syed Asif Ibrahim said on Thursday the spread of Indian Mujahideen (IM) and use of social media to fan communal tension were the biggest threats to internal security. He was addressing the three-day annual conference of police chiefs here.
“After the recent arrest of Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah, we achieved some success in interdicting important members of IM. But the challenge remains as despite these arrests they executed the Patna blasts,” said Ibrahim.
The IB chief, credited with the arrest of Yasin and Abdul Karim Tunda, said: “Evidence gathered from various cases indicates Pakistan continues to nurture terrorist groups.”
“Besides the LeT, IM has enlarged its network and developed capabilities to carry out acts of terror at short notice in various parts of the country,” said Ibrahim.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said, “IM is getting motivation and strength from inimical forces in Pakistan.” He said attempts were being made to vitiate communal harmony using social media as was witnessed in Bangalore last year and Muzaffarnagar this year and the situation in J&K remained challenging, with terror groups upping the ante.
“The recent attacks indicate a nefarious game plan hatched across the border to demoralise our security forces. There have also been violent actions and ceasefire violations along the border. The security forces have killed 35 terrorists along the LoC but they cannot lower guard, particularly in view of the elections next year,” the Home Minister said.
“It is essential for district administrations to put in place an early warning system for immediate detection of communal issues. For this, they should maintain constant engagement with all communities, particularly in disturbance-prone areas.”
Shinde also said Central and state security forces had achieved notable successes in restricting the areas of Naxal influence. Shinde also underlined the threat of cyber crime and cyber attacks. “Extensive networking of computer systems, particularly in sensitive areas, has increased our vulnerability to such attempts from hostile elements. Security agencies and police will need to develop expertise for a coordinated response to these problems,” he said.