Nations violating definition of terror should be punished: Home Minister

New Delhi, March 16 (PTI): Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said countries and state-supported groups, which violate the definition of terrorism as prescribed by the United Nations, should be punished by the international community.

Addressing the ‘Counter Terrorism Conference 2017’ here, the Home Minister said coastal borders of 36 countries touch Indian Ocean and nations, including India, need to work together to ensure safety and protection of maritime domains and trade and economic activities through sea routes.

“To achieve this, we have to accept the comprehensive definition of terrorism given by the United Nations. The nations which violate this definition should be punished and ostracised,” he said.

Singh said the “comprehensive definition of terrorism” should include state-supported groups and nations which are supporting such groups and they should be brought under this definition.

“Identification of state-sponsored terrorism and isolating such state-sponsored groups will certainly be most important encouraging factors,” he said at the conference which was discussing ‘Terrorism in the Indian Ocean Region’.

The Home Minister said programmes on terror in Indian Ocean region should not be limited to statements and there is a need to undertake concrete measures and put in place strong mechanisms which can help friendly countries and regions in ensuring constant flow of information.

Referring to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and 1993 serial blasts in the metropolis, Singh said the perpetrators and material for both attacks came from Pakistan using sea routes.

“We keep getting inputs that Lashkar-e-Taiba have been trying to send terrorists again through sea,” he said.

Singh said due to the growing influence of Middle-East terror group ISIS, the nearby seas of West Asia and North Africa have been vulnerable to maritime terrorism.