Kiren Rijiju said that the government is also trying its best to open schools and carry out skill development program to bring the children in left-wing extremism affected areas to the mainstream.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said that extremist groups in the country, such as Maoist, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, are using children to destabilise the state. The minister during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha noted that children are used in the left-wing extremism affected states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. He said, there were reports that “some groups use children in their nefarious designs to destabilise the state.” “We have reports that Naxalite groups try to use children,” he added.

He also said that the government is also trying its best to open schools and carry out skill development programme to bring the children in left-wing extremism affected areas to the mainstream.

The minister said there are no reports of children being used as human bombs, however, the government has received inputs that two terror organisations, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, are using children to further out their agenda.

Amar Singh, an independent candidate had raised the question in Parliament if children were used as human bombs by some terror outfits. In a written response, Rijiju said, “the government was aware that some terrorist/extremist groups in the country forcibly induct children as armed cadres and for other supporting activities.”

Replying to supplementary questions, Rijiju said there was a reference in the United Nations about armed conflicts in India, to which the government has objected. “There is no armed conflict in India. We have objected to a reference in the UN,” he said.