New Delhi: Concerned over a sizeable number of South Indians getting attracted to ISIS, the government will soon reach out to prominent Muslim leaders of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to counter the influence of the dreaded terrorist group over community youth.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh will meet prominent Muslim personalities of South India so that they could persuade youth not to fall prey to extremist ideology and eventually join terrorist groups like ISIS.
Sources said politicians like AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi may be roped in to appeal to youth against radical propaganda, especially those coming through social media and other internet platforms.
The Home Minister today held a meeting with Muslim leaders, mostly from North India, seeking their help to counter the dreaded terrorist group and check cross-border terrorism.
According to Home Ministry statistics, a majority of the incidents of youth getting attracted to ISIS came from the five South Indian states.
According to Indian intelligence agencies, a total of 23 Indians have so far joined the ISIS of whom six were reportedly killed in different incidents in Iraq-Syria.
Around 150 Indians are under surveillance for their alleged online links with ISIS.
As many as 30 other Indians, who were radicalised by ISIS elements, were prevented from travelling to the conflict zone in the Middle East.
PTI