The Sikh militant groups based in foreign countries are persisting with their efforts to revive militancy in Punjab, after a sizable gap of more than 30 years.
Disclosing this in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, R P N Singh said the Centre was keeping a close watch on the activities of the various groups known for their involvement in fomenting terrorist activities in the state.
“In countries where such activities have been noticed, the Government of India has taken up the matter at the level of Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs), ministerial meetings and joint working groups on counter-terrorism, sensitising these governments about India’s security concerns,” he said in a written reply.
And the NIA is probing the funding of the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)militant outfit which is said to be operating out of the UK.
The money is pumped in through the hawala channels to support the BKI’s terror activities using active modules based in Pakistan.
According to intelligence reports, more than Rs 100 crore was transferred to top BKI leaders in Pakistan and subsequently the money had been funnelled to its sleeper cells in Punjab.
The minister said the government had adopted an integrated approach to counter such attempts.