HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 4: Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday alarmed the people of the state to stay alert and help the administration to overcome the challenges posed by Bangladesh-origin jihadi groups. Sarma told this to the residents of Assam while addressing a press conference at the Janata Bhawan to brief media on the five jihadi modules of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda affiliate in Indian Sub-continent.
Addressing press persons, chief minister Sarma said that over the last five months, the Assam police have arrested 29 ABT leaders and cadres. He claimed that the police also busted sleeper cells in Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Morigaon and recovered jihadi literature used for indoctrinating and radicalising youth to join the outfit.
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Highlighting that the Assam police also recovered high-end electronic devices used by these jihadis for communication, chief minister Sarma said, “I urge all to stay alert and help administration in overcoming the challenges posed by these jihadis to the state. Peace-loving Muslim groups have already joined hands with us for the cause. The current situation calls for a higher level of vigilance to defeat these evil forces.”
The chief minister also told the press persons that earlier six Bangladeshi nationals affiliated to Ansarul Islam had entered Assam to indoctrinate youths, and one of them was arrested when the first module was busted at Barpeta in March this year. “Indoctrination of youths belonging to the Muslim community of the state through private madrasas by certain Imams from outside the state is alarming and a cause of concern,” Sarma further said.
Chief minister Sarma also claimed that even at the peak of the Covid outbreak, the Bangladeshi nationals, who entered the state illegally way back in 2016-17, managed to train some Muslim youths.
