No widespread extremist activities in Kerala: Minister

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 25 (UNI) Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the State Assembly today that no widespread extremist activities were reported from any part of the state so far.

Replying to questions, he also said no terrorist strike had also taken place in the state.

Mr Balakrishnan, however, said police had arrested eight people for their suspected links with Kashmiri militant groups and a case in this regard had been registered.

Pointing out that the state police and its intelligence wing were keeping constant vigil against extremist activities in the state, the Home Minister said the state government had not received any communication from the Intelligence Bureau in this regard.

It was the intelligence wing of the state police, which made a break through into an alleged links of a few Keralites with Kashmiri militants and identified persons were killed in an encounter with security forces there. The state police was also able to arrest Abdul Jabbar, who is believed to have escaped the encounter.

Stating that the government would never concentrate the investigation on a particular community, he warned that it would never spare persons found to have connection with terrorist activities.

Ruling out any new legislation to check terrorist activities in the state, he said the government could tackle it with the existing laws.

Except SIMI, no other religious organisations were banned by the Centre, he said and stressed the need for mass campaign against terrorism.

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