This Article is From Nov 22, 2014

'Want to Ask Pakistan - is ISI a Non-State Actor?': Rajnath Singh

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Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit

New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke today at the Hindustan Times Summit in New Delhi.

Here are the highlights:

  • We will not leave a single stone unturned to meet the internal security challenges of India.
  • There are many challenges, and since we have a federal structure, we need the support of the states.
  • I want to ask Pakistan - is ISI a non-state actor? Who helped Osama bin-Laden? Who is helping Hafiz Saeed?
  • Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan but not being handed over. The culprits of 2008 Mumbai attack are not being acted against.
  • ISIS is radicalising people through social media. We are developing a system to check this.
  • Cyber crime is a big challenge for us, one of the hurdles we face are due to servers not being in India but we have a strategy in place to deal with that.
  • There is an integrated action plan to deal with the scourge of naxalism.
  • There are numerous insurgent groups in the North-East whom we are asking to lay down their weapons.
  • Happy to inform you ANVC, a Meghalaya insurgent group, has agreed to give up arms.
  • If we try to raise infrastructure along the border, China and Pakistan tend to object. But still we're building roads, developing infrastructure.
  • There are many parts of our borders that remain porous - we are trying to make greater use of technology to ensure border security.
  • Our police needs to be more people-friendly and we're training them for it.
  • Coastal police stations are being set up and their jurisdiction being defined.
  • Give us time and wait, I can't make our strategy public. We will try to build up diplomatic pressure: Rajnath Singh on pursuing Dawood Ibrahim.
  • We try to persuade Pakistan, but we will also build pressure to hand him over. The previous governments have also tried: Rajnath Singh on pursuing Dawood Ibrahim.
  • There is a democracy in our country - and we have told the people of J&K to debate on Article 370 - has it benefited them?
  • Our opponents are trying to create a sense of fear in the people of J&K.
  • Why is Article 370 an election issue? we feel that development is a more important issue.
  • We want good relations with all our neighbours. I feel the deadlock will be broken sooner or later: Rajnath Singh on India Pakistan relations.
  • Atal ji used to say, friends change but neighbours don't; But when your neighbour acts against you we protest in a diplomatic way.
  • If Pakistan's stand is clear, then our stand is clear as well: Rajnath Singh on talks with Kashmiri separatists)
  • As far as AFSPA is concerned, we need more time to take a call on it. No decision has  been taken on whether to withdraw this (AFSPA) law.
  • RSS is not an external force. I am a volunteer of the RSS, and the PM is a volunteer of RSS.
  • If we belong to the RSS, then how will the RSS influence us? I could understand people saying that if there were people with other ideologies trying to influence the government


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