Have 21 people missing from Kerala joined IS, ask MPs

New Delhi: Members from Kerala today raised in Lok Sabha the issue of 21 people from the state who have gone missing and are suspected to have links with terror group IS while asking the government to confirm whether they have joined any the banned organisation.

“There are some unconfirmed media reports that they have joined some terrorist organisation. It should be confirmed only by the central investigating agency, that is, NIA,” K C Venugopal (Cong) said.

He alleged that there is a deliberate attempt to spread out “Islamophobia” among the people and said that all Muslim organisations and influential Islamic scholars in the country have criticised and rejected the radical ideology put forward by the IS.

“The government should come forward and say if they have got any information about it. They should come forward and clear the ambiguity,” he said.

P Karunakaran (CPI) said it was a very serious matter and asked the government to take all possible steps to find them and reveal the reasons for their disappearance.

He also said, “Prices of essential goods including drugs are increasing. Price is increasing due to the malpractices of traders who create artificial shortage.”

B B Patil (TRS) raised the issue of price rise and sought government’s intervention in this regard.

“Prices of essential goods including drugs are increasing. Price is increasing due to the malpractices of traders who create artificial shortage,” he said.

Patil said that it is high time that the government should have a control on the prices of essential goods and drugs.

On the killing of 10 CRPF commandos in IED blast in Bihar yesterday, Sushil Kumar Singh (BJP) said that the state government is not being able to handle the situation.

“The state government has no interest in resolving the matter. Poor and innocent are getting killed in these blasts. This is a danger to India’s internal security,” he said.

He asked the Union government to put pressure on the state to do policing and developmental work.

Ram Prasad Sarmah (BJP) said there was a “tremendous increase” in jihadi activities in Assam.

“Those jihadis, who are intruding from Bangladesh, are also making Assam their playing field. I would request the government to fully seal the border between India and Bangladesh,” he said.

PTI