IS recruitment: Govt monitoring social media

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has put under the scanner persons and outfits who misuse social media for propagating extremist ideologies of Islamic State, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the state Assembly Monday.

His statement in a written reply comes in the backdrop of reports that a group of missing Kerala youths had joined the Islamic State.

The social media accounts of those who were suspected to have joined IS from the state were also being monitored by the state police, Vijayan said.

"The government is strictly monitoring the activities of the individuals and outfits who support and propagate the ideologies of Islamic State using various platforms including social media," he said.

All district police chiefs have been given strict directions in this regard, the Chief Minister added.

At least 21 youths, including women, who had gone missing from the state some months ago, were suspected to have joined IS. Among them, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad.

Kerala Police has registered a case based on the complaints of the relatives of the missing youths.