New Delhi, Sep 8 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is set to intensify its actions against terror funding. The various investigations that are being carried out by the NIA clearly point to extensive funding that is taking place to boost terror-related operations.

The Intelligence agencies say that terror funding is the biggest menace that the nation is facing, and hence the NIA has intensified its actions.

While the agencies are already dealing with this issue, where funding for Jihadi elements and Khalistanis is concerned, the other big worry is that the agencies have found that a major operation is underway to destabilise the nation.

There is money coming in from various quarters to fund some elements so that they can create chaos in the country. Funds are being pumped into raising issues that could destabilise the nation and disrupt harmony.

These would include issues such as staging protests against the policies of the government or trying and disrupt developmental works, the Intelligence agencies have learnt. There is also money being pumped to gather people from across the country to protest against the action that is being taken against the Maoists. Several elements are unhappy with the ongoing action. Knowing fully well that the security forces are on track to wipe out the problem by 2026, some elements are planning violent protests in a bid to create a false narrative.

With the crisis in Bangladesh worsening, the security agencies have warned of large-scale illegal immigration taking place. The Indian forces have been pushing back many who have entered illegally. The issue is not a humanitarian crisis, but a well-planned one. The idea of the ISI and the DGFI is to indulge in mass infiltrations, so that these people can settle in villages in India. The idea is to change the demographics so that communal tensions erupt.

Further, with the elections in Bihar coming up, illegal immigration from Bangladesh is a major issue. Ahead of the elections, there would be attempts made to disrupt the process and also indulge in large-scale illegal immigration into Bihar.

With the Indian government not taking chances on this issue and telling the security forces not to go soft on this issue, there are plans to stage protests. Some fake human rights groups that are funded by external sources are likely to raise these issues and project it as a humanitarian crisis forced by the Indian government. There is considerable funding that comes in to support such causes, which are aimed at disrupting peace and harmony in the country.

The NIA is also intensifying its actions against terror funding, because Pakistan, after losing face during Operation Sindoor, is indulging in a false narrative campaign. There is plenty of funding that is taking place to spread this false narrative, and hence, in this context, the NIA investigations become extremely crucial.

On Sunday, the NIA conducted searches at 22 locations across five states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The raids were in connection with a terror conspiracy case.

Searches were carried out at eight locations in Bihar, one each in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, two in Uttar Pradesh and nine in Jammu and Kashmir. The agencies suspect that the network is involved in attempts to create unrest and destabilise the nation by creating law and order issues. This is part of the NIA's ongoing investigations aimed at breaking such networks and also putting the brakes on terror funding.

The NIA is also probing several cases relating to radicalisation, terror recruitment and spotting sleeper cells. Similar actions have led to many arrests in recent months. The NIA is also keeping a close watch on online activity, where terror recruiters and those specialising in radicalisation are active. These actions come in the wake of the government of India emphasising a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism.

/IANS