Threat is not country specific: Shinde

Union Home Ministr Sushilkumar Shinde (right) welcomes his Bangladesh counterpart Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir in the beginning of joint Border Retreat ceremony at Petrapole on Wednesday. Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Wednesday said the external threat to India was not country specific and it would have to be on alert all the time.

“It is not a matter of any specific country posing threat to India. India has to remain alert irrespective of any nation,” Mr. Shinde told reporters when asked whether China was perceived as a threat to the country.

Mr. Shinde, who inaugurated the Joint Retreat Ceremony at the Indo-Bangla border post in Petropole along with his Bangla counterpart Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, said with the new initiative which began on Wednesday, terrorists would gradually find it difficult to use Bangladesh as a transit point.

“Not only from Bangladesh, terrorists are also coming from other neighbouring nations,” he said.

Asked about the ticklish issue of Teesta water sharing and land enclave agreements which the Bangladesh government was eager to sign with India, Mr. Shinde said, “Let’s hope (so).”

To another query, Mr. Shinde said the current internal disturbances in Bangladesh would have no impact on the bilateral relations between the two nations. “This is a temporary phase and the country will overcome it,” he said.

“So far the relations between the Bangladesh and India governments were cordial and fine,” he added.