Anti-national elements attempt to radicalize youth in J-K: DGP Dilbag Singh

The presence of the ISIS in Kashmir is not "that big" but attempts are being made by anti-national elements to radicalise a section of the youth with the global terror group's ideology, DGP Dilbag Singh said Wednesday. The DGP's remark came days after a group of youngsters, carrying ISIS flags, forcibly entered the historic Jamia Masjid here and created a ruckus.

"A very serious attempt on part of anti-social and anti-national elements is on to radicalise a section of the youth to the extent possible. "The presence (or ISIS) is not that big but the fact that people are being radicalised along those lines cannot be denied," the Jammu and Kashmir DGP told reporters here. Singh was responding to a question about the incident at Jamia Masjid on December 28.

The incident occurred after the congregational Friday prayers when most of the people had left the mosque, officials had said, adding that the youngsters were later chased away by those present there. It had also evoked condemnation from the mosque's management committee and the separatists.

"Kashmir civil society has been a very open society, a very secular kind of culture. They extend due respect to the places of worship," Singh said. He said efforts like displaying the ISIS flag have been made in certain quarters in the past also. "Carrying those (ISIS) flags and displaying those publicly is to show that there is a very large presence of such elements," he said. The presence of this group is not that big in Kashmir, the DGP said.

(With inputs from agencies.)