Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala on Monday sought
the Centre`s assistance in checking trafficking of explosive
materials by fundamentalist organisations, circulation of
counterfeit notes and foreign funding to terror groups.
"The government has taken a serious view of
fundamentalist organisations receiving explosive materials,
foreign funds and circulating counterfeit notes and so has
sought the Centre`s help to probe these matters," Home
Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said in the assembly.
He was replying to a debate on an adjournment motion
moved by Congress led UDF Opposition on the growth of terror
groups in Kerala.
He said the state would hand over to National
Investigation Agency, the probe in the case relating to
tampering of brake pipes of a passenger train at Nilambur on
July 8.
Members of ruling LDF and Opposition UDF traded
charges over the `proliferation` of terror groups in the
state. UDF said Kerala had become a fertile ground for
terrorists and also a recruitment centre, while LDF members
maintained that UDF was needlessly `magnifying` the issue.
Balakrishnan informed members that the state was in
the process of setting up a special Anti-Terrorist Squad by
drawing forces from the newly-formed Indian Reserve Battalion
of state police.
Though there was a ban on Students Islamic Movement of
India, their activists were operating in the name of National
Development Front (NDF), Popular Front of India (PFI) and
Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), he alleged.
Some fundamental organisations were functioning under
the cover of Human Rights and Environmental protection forum,
he said and alleged that some groups had even turned places of
worship into armouries.
Apparently referring to the attack on college lecturer
T J Joseph allegedly by activists of PDI, Balakrishnan said
`Taliban type` justice would not be allowed in the state.
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said the government
was ready to accept the suggestions of Opposition in tackling
the terrorist menace. He said UDF was attacking the LDF
government on the lecturer attack issue just to derive
political mileage.
Opposition leader Oommen Chandy alleged that the
attack had occurred due to intelligence failure and inability
to provide security to Joseph despite the government being
aware of threats to the lecturer.
PTI
