Patiala-Retired IPS officer and former Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Congress leader Grinder Dhillon has issued a detailed public warning, urging India’s security establishment and political leadership to recognize what he describes as the rapidly shrinking divide between Internal Security (IS) and National Security (NS).
In a social media post, Dhillon argued that recent global conflicts, including the wars in Ukraine and Iran, along with developments in Spain and other regions, have highlighted how internal disturbances can quickly evolve into broader national security threats. He said these international events provide important lessons that India should carefully study while strengthening its own security framework.
Dhillon emphasized that hostile foreign actors are increasingly exploiting domestic vulnerabilities through criminal networks, organized crime, and anti-social elements. He stated that political leaders across party lines should rise above partisan considerations and acknowledge that internal and national security now function as a single, interconnected domain rather than two separate challenges.
Calling for a comprehensive strengthening of India’s security apparatus, Dhillon urged all state police forces and internal security agencies to modernize their capabilities, improve interstate coordination, and significantly enhance intelligence-sharing. He also appealed to the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide states with greater policy guidance, technological resources, trained manpower, and modern equipment to effectively counter emerging security threats.
Referring to the recent protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar organized by the CJP, Dhillon cited the Delhi Police’s reported assessment that nearly 2,000 anti-social and criminal elements were present in and around the protest site. He argued that, regardless of individual motives, the presence of such elements demonstrates how a law-and-order situation can rapidly escalate into an internal security challenge and potentially be exploited by hostile foreign actors.
Drawing on his experience policing the border state of Punjab, Dhillon said he felt compelled to issue the warning because of the evolving nature of security threats. He stressed that all three organs of governance should work in harmony within the framework of the law. He further stated that where necessary, law enforcement agencies should not hesitate to invoke extraordinary legal provisions against individuals who pose serious threats to public order and national interests.
Concluding his message, Dhillon said India must recognize that Internal Security and National Security are no longer parallel subjects but have become an integrated security continuum. He urged policymakers and security agencies to treat the issue with urgency, warning against complacency in the face of increasingly complex and interconnected security challenges.