NEW DELHI: India on Monday asked Germany to neutralise Khalistan sympathisers who are financing Sikh extremist groups and carrying on propaganda to incite hatred from their safe havens in the Western European country.
“Such extremist elements based in Germany often utilise their places of religious worship to support extremist organisations in India by propaganda and financing. The flag of Khalistan and photographs of terrorists bearing weapons are openly displayed in many Sikh religious places in Germany to incite hatred and anger against India,” India told Germany.
During a fairly lengthy meeting between Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju and German Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Interior Guenter Krings, several issues pertaining to security, exchange of information on terrorist recruitment, investigation of cases, ways to deal with financing of propaganda, movement to conflict zones, counterfeiting and trafficking were discussed.
Rijiju told his counterpart that the annual report on the protection of Constitution published in June has made a specific reference to ‘Extremist Sikhs’ in the list of extremist organisations of foreigners in Germany. “I wish to explain that the Sikh community is defined by religion, not ethnicity. Extremist Sikh organisations are trying to agitate religious differences in our country aiming at effecting a radical change of the political situation in India by using force and terrorism,” Rijiju explained in the meeting. The two countries also signed a broad-ranging security cooperation agreement that proposes to intensify cooperation in countering terrorism in all its forms, including recruitment, financing, terrorist propaganda, training and terrorist movements.
The agreement also covers areas of border protection, aviation security, cyber crime, illegal migration and counterfeit currency. Both the sides will share their technical expertise in tackling security related issues and it will provide a strategic platform to the law enforcement agencies to exchange information on violent extremism and terrorism in various forms.
Recently, a RAW note had stated that some Kashmiris also participated in a protest outside the Indian Consulate in Frankfurt, ringing alarm bells in the security establishment. Both countries have agreed to develop further cooperation through regular meetings of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and welcomed the initiation of cooperation in disaster management.