NEW DELHI, Dec 10:
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act will not be withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir until the situation in the State is completely peaceful, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said.
“It cannot be withdrawn unless it (the State) is quite and calm,” he told reporters here when asked when the Government was planning to withdraw the controversial law from the State as demanded by various quarters.
Shinde said infiltration from across the border to Jammu and Kashmir has increased in recent times and security forces were keeping close eyes along the Indo-Pakistan border.
“Infiltration has increased. That is our information. We are worried. We are watchful in all sectors. We are very careful. But no untoward incident has happened as far as infiltration is concerned,” he said.
Last week, the Government told Parliament that till October 12, 111 people were apprehended along the border in Jammu and Kashmir while they were trying to infiltrate into India.
Government also said at least 90 Pakistani infiltrators entered India through the Indo-Pak border this year.
Sources said the abrupt jump in the number of Pakistani infiltrators—from 63 in 2011 to 90 this year (till November 20) — sent alarm bells ringing in the Home Ministry, which directed security agencies to intensify the vigil along the border.
Altogether 94 Pakistani infiltrators have entered into India in 2010 and 69 in 2009 through the Indo-Pak border.
Asked about the proposed visit of Hurriyat leaders to Pakistan, Shinde said initially seven to eight Hurriyat leaders showed willingness to visit that country but the number has reduced to two or three now.
“Still it is not confirm (how many will visit Pakistan),” he said.
India will press for handing over of LeT founder and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafeez Saeed during the visit of Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik beginning December 14.
Shinde said he told Malik, when they met in Maldives on the sidelines of a SAARC inter- ministerial conference in September this year, that Saeed was moving freely in Pakistan and he should be handed over to India.
“I have been telling him and still I will insist….We have told them openly as well as through official communication. I am quite sure that when he will come here, I will discuss with him this issue,” he said at a press conference here.
Shinde said he will also seek voice samples of the handlers of the terrorists who carried out the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 that left 166 persons dead.
“I had talked to him (Malik) on a number of occasions on the voice samples (of handlers of 26/11 terrorists). We have requested them many times. Not only in Maldives, but also at the Interpol conference (in Rome).
“Here also, I will mention it. There is nothing wrong. I will mention that. He will come on December 14 and stay here till 16th,” the Home Minister said.
Shinde, however, declined to comment on the legal proceedings related to 26/11 case going on in that country saying the matter was subjudice.
“I can’t say I am satisfied. It is legal matter. I can’t comment on legal matters,” he said. India has voiced concern over the slow pace of trial in Pakistan.
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan is conducting trial of seven Pakistanis charged with involvement in the 2008 strikes.
A breakthrough is expected soon on the National Counter Terrorism Center for which Government is carrying out talks with the Chief Ministers opposing it, Shinde said .
“I have been talking to the Chief Ministers. Soon you will get result,” Shinde said.
Following strong protests from Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), J Jayalalitha (Tamil Nadu) and Narendra Modi (Gujarat), the Government had deferred the operationalisation of NCTC, a pet project of former Home Minister P Chidambaram, in March.
Shinde said he had talked to Banerjee on NCTC immediately after he took over as Home Minister in August and he would talk to Modi after some days as the latter is now busy with electioneering in Gujarat.
“Narendra Modi is very busy with election. It is not proper to talk to him now. I had talked to Mamata Banerjee when I had visited West Bengal….When I went through the records I have found that they have some reservations. Leaving those reservations, I think every State is agreed (to NCTC),” he said.
Asked about his reported remarks in Gujarat yesterday which suggested that senior IPS officer Syed Asif Ibrahim was appointed as Chief of Intelligence Bureau because he was from minority community, Shinde clarified: “He is an able person. I only said that he is from minority community. That’s all”.
On what the Government would do to Samajwadi Party’s strong opposition to the proposed Bill on reservation in promotion for SC/ST, Shinde, who is also leader of Lok Sabha, said they would discuss the issue with SP.
“The stand of our Government is very clear. We are clear that the Bill must come. That is why we are bringing it. We will discuss (with SP),” he said.
Shinde will see files pertaining to mercy petitions of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru and six others in death row after the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
“It is not only (that of) Afzal Guru. I have seven files (of mercy pleas) to see. I will see the files after Parliament Session,” he said.
The Winter Session of the Parliament will conclude on December 20.
Guru’s mercy petition was sent back by President Pranab Mukherjee to the Ministry of Home Affairs for review. He was sentenced to death for the 2001 Parliament attack in which nine people, including security force personnel, were killed and 16 were injured.
Addressing personnel of Border Security Force (BSF) on its 47th Raising Day function, Shinde praised the high standards of training in the force and said the government will ensure all possible help to further improve the skills and bring in technological advancements.
“I am aware of the fact that BSF personnel work in extremely difficult conditions and away from their families. The personnel deployed in anti-terrorist, anti-Naxal, disaster management, border management operations and United National Peace Keeping Missions. We have seen good results from all the fronts.
“I hope that BSF will further improve its techniques and skills to save the country and secure its border. The safety and security of country’s border is very important and BSF personnel are doing their job in the best way,” Shinde said.
The ceremonial parade on the occasion of force’s 47th raising day had to be postponed from December 1 to today following the demise of former Prime Minister I K Gujral on November 30.
Shinde said, NIA will probe cases against members of Manipur-based terror group People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its off-shoot United People’s Party of Kangleipak (UPPK).
He said the cases against operatives of these two terror groups were handed over to National Investigation Agency (NIA) on November 20, this year.
Shinde said operatives of these two groups have allegedly raised funds through extortion and other illegal acts to carry out terrorist activities at various places including Delhi, Guwahati, Imphal, Kolkata and Patna and waging war against the State.
On the LTTE ban issue, Shinde said Unlawful Activities Prevention Tribunal led by Justice V K Jain has confirmed his Ministry’s notification of May 14, 2012 proscribing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as Unlawful Association under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act,1967.
“During this month, the notifications for banning the Hynniewtrap National Liberation Council (HNLC) with efffect from November 16, 2012, the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) with effect from November 23 and the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) with effect from November 27 under Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act, 1967 were issued,” he said.
Shinde said proposals of SREI SAHAJ-e-Village Limited and BHEL under the Special Industry Initiatives (SII) Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir were approved by the Ministry.
“In November, 2012, the President of India accorded assent to the Bombay Prevention of Fragmentations and Consolidation of Holdings (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2011 and the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2010,” he said. (PTI)
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