NEW DELHI, April 24 ? The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has ruled out the possibility of students from the North East studying in Delhi being involved with terrorist and drug trafficking activities. The Ministry?s reply was in response to a question tabled by MVVS Murthi and Ram Mohan Gadde who, quoting a news report in the Hindu, wanted to know whether the Government had any intelligence report that some of the students from the North East who come to Delhi are involved in terrorist and drug activities.
There is no evidence or input to suggest that the students from the north-eastern States staying in Delhi, are engaged in such activities, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ch Vidyasagar Rao said in response. Adding further, the Minister said there was one isolated case during the last three years in which a militant from Manipur was found to have been given shelter by a Manipuri student studying in Delhi. Rao was referring to the arrest of the Foreign Secretary of the PLA who was nabbed from a South Delhi locality last month. He was reported to be on a mission to recruit sympathisers.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Affairs, ID Swami has also conceded that there were reports of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) setting up a number of camps in Bangladesh, and that the outfit has been receiving help and guidance by way of arms supply, training, joint operation from NSCN (I-M) within the territory of Bangladesh.
The issue is regularly taken up on a bilateral basis with Bangladesh, which was repeatedly stated that it will not allow its territory to be used for terrorism or against the interest of another friendly country, the Minister added. The issue had figured during the conference of Chief Ministers on of the north-eastern States in February, when Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Sarkar reported that NLFT supported by ISI of Pakistan had set up 20 camps in Bangladesh and NSCN (I-M) militants are training the militants.