There is credible intelligence of Pakistan trying to stir up trouble in India by helping terrorists to infiltrate into the country, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has alleged.
“We have credible information that Pakistan is helping terrorists to enter our territory. We have intelligence inputs. But we are alert. We have directed all concerned to be extra vigilant during the ongoing festive season to ensure peace and safety of citizens. I also appeal to people to be on the guard and be extra careful,” he told reporters here on Sunday.
On the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said security forces cannot be withdrawn from the Valley till the situation was completely peaceful there. “When I was in Jammu and Kashmir, locals asked me to remove the Army from the Valley, but I told them we can’t do it until the situation is peaceful,” he remarked.
On the movement launched by India Against Corruption member Arvind Kejriwal and his team, he said the activists should introspect if their acts were creating indiscipline in society and the government would not tolerate such actions.
“They are creating indiscipline in society. This is illegal. If someone takes the law in his own hands, we will not tolerate it,’’ he warned.
Referring to Mr. Kejriwal’s action of restoring electricity connection of an individual during his protest on water and power tariff in the capital, he said such acts were unacceptable and illegal as the supply was stopped due to non-payment of bill.
Mr. Shinde said he visited the border with Bangladesh on Saturday to assess the ground situation.
Earlier, on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day, Mr. Shinde paid tributes to 575 personnel who laid down their lives in the past one year. While 383 personnel from police forces were killed between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 192 troopers belonging to Central police forces died during that period.
This is the first time all the Central police forces have come together to observe Police Commemoration Day.
However, the government is yet to accord the status of martyr to the Central police and paramilitary personnel who die in the line of duty on a par with defence personnel, though both fight insurgencies.
On May 8 this year, Minister of State for Home Jitendra Singh told Parliament in a written reply to questions in the Lok Sabha that no consensus could emerge on according martyr status to Central police and paramilitary personnel who die in line of duty, when it was discussed by a committee of secretaries (CoS) last year. “The matter for giving the status of martyr to paramilitary personnel was considered by the CoS on September 14, 2011, but there was no consensus on the issue,” he said.
