In a startling revelation Amar Bhushan, former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Officer, said that the agencies never got a free hand to act against radicalization and terrorism down South. In an interview with the OneIndia, Bhushan made this statement. He went on to state that it is unfair to accuse the agencies of reacting late in South India. He said, when there are governments which latch on to support from Muslim dominated parties, there is very little support one can expect. There was a definite hesitation to take on the extremists.

 

 

Citing the example of Yasin Bhatkal, the alleged co-founder of the terror organization Indian Mujahideen, the former officer said, “It was infested with extremists. Agency units were set up very late and the role of the state police, the less said the better”. He even disclosed the habit of earlier government at the Centre and the State of non-cooperation these matters. He appreciated the present dispensation and said, "Look at the free hand given to the National Investigation today. The agency is going all out against the radical activities in South India and I must say they are doing a commendable job. Moreover, they are not restricting themselves only to the South. They are in Bengal and a whole lot of other states". He further added, "As police personnel, I can tell you that if you are not given a free hand, you really cannot operate. If you decide to go ahead, you will never know when you will get tripped".

 

 

He revealed the red-tapism in Central Government and stated that “we always had to go to the Home Ministry and seek approval after giving a lot of explanation. You cannot keep running to the MHA all the time." Again, he compared the present regime and the previous regimes, and said, "The NIA is successful today because of surveillance measures that they have taken. The thing is, if you have created an agency, then let it run freely. Surveillance is the heart of the operation and absolutely needed to monitor extremist elements."

 

 

 

 

 

While the propaganda against the present regime is going and in order to gain mileage political parties are leveling the unfounded allegations but the commendable role played by investigating agencies, under the present central government, cannot be overlooked that has averted Sri Lanka like terrorist attack in India. National Investigation Agency (NIA) has done its bit to avert any major terrorist attack on India. Recently, in the month of December 2018, The NIA carried out raids at 16 locations in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The raids were conducted in connection with busting a new IS module called 'Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam'. It even arrested 5 people and detained 10 others in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. In April 2019 National Investigation Agency (NIA) picked up three people following searches at three locations in the outskirts of Hyderabad, in connection with the arrest of three youths for links with the ISIS in August 2018. In Kashmir, the agencies have clamped on to the radical outfits, banned certain Islamist Organisations, detained the overground workers, eliminated terrorists and choked the cross-border support to terrorists.

 

 

 

 

India alerted Sri Lanka in early April about the possible bomb attacks at different spots in the island, including the Indian High Commission building but Sri Lankan authorities did not pay much heed to the tip-off of India. India had warned about the possible “suicide attacks” being planned by “Mohammed Zaharan”, “Leader of the National Thowheeth Jamaath”, the organization that Sri Lankan authorities attributed the attacks to. Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday suicide bombings terror attack resulted in the death of 258 people, including 45 foreigners and injuring several others. This terror attack could have been if the Sri Lankan authorities would have acted on time.