Security up, but Centre sees no threat

Pakistan-based outfits are more dangerous than IS, say officials

Even as the Union Home Ministry said the Paris attacks would have no immediate fallout in the country, the police departments have intensified security nationwide after the Paris attacks.

At least two counter-terrorism officials who spoke to

The Hindu said India faced no imminent threat from the Pakistan-based outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, and much less from the IS.

The intelligence agencies are keeping a close watch on at least 55 Indians for being active participants or sympathisers of the IS. At least 20 are said to be fighting in Syria and Iraq.

No advisory

A senior Home Ministry official said the Union government had not issued any advisory to the State police after the Paris attacks.

“We have a system in place, and all suspicious activities are being checked,” he said.

Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner (Law and Order) of the Mumbai Police, echoed his views: “For us, the Pakistan-based terror outfits are more dangerous than the Islamic State, which is loosely integrated in India and which exists at a more individual level.”

Though the government has always underplayed the impact of the IS, it has conducted several meetings with State government officials to identify IS sympathisers.

As reported by The Hindu earlier, the Centre had readied a blueprint to deal with the influence of the IS and shared it with the States concerned.