Pakistan nurturing terror against India, says Rajnath

Addressing the HT Leadership Summit on Saturday in New Delhi, Singh said Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism in India.

While delivering the speech Rajnath pointed his fingers directlly at Pak's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of trying to create unrest in India.

He said, "I want to ask Pakistan - is ISI a non-state actor? Who helped Osama bin-Laden? Who is helping Hafiz Saeed?"

It is noteworthy to mention that Pakistan’s fished out the “non-state actor” line following the 2008 terrorist attack on Mmbai. India’s stated position is the ISI played an active role in the attack.

Continuing his attack, Singh hit out at Pakistan over harbouring underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, whom he described as the “most-wanted criminal”.

Home Minister said, "Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan but not being handed over. The culprits of 2008 Mumbai attack are not being acted against."

"We try to persuade Pakistan, but we will also build pressure to hand him over. The previous governments have also tried. Give us time and wait, I can't make our strategy public. We will try to build up diplomatic pressure," asserted Rajnath.

Rajnath at the same time added that India always wants to manintain good, cordial relations with its neighbours.

"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," he quipped.

Stepping up on the internal security issue, Singh assured, "We will not leave a single stone unturned to meet the internal security challenges of India. ISIS is radicalising people through social media. We are developing a system to check this."

He added, "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."

Rajnath informed that 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," he said.

On the border security issue, Rajnath admitted that there are many parts of our borders that remain porous - where Government is trying to make greater use of technology to ensure border security.

Rajnath said, "If we try to raise infrastructure along the border, China and Pakistan tend to object. But still we're building roads, developing infrastructure. 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."

On Article 370 issue in J&K, Rajnath said, "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?"

He added, "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."

Rajnath said, Centre always supports federal structure and look forward to the support of states to meet the challenges.

"There are many challenges, and since we have a federal structure, we need the support of the states."

Minister also said that RSS is not an external force. "PM and I are both from the RSS, so where is the question of its influence? 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."