STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Confronted with difficulty in spreading its tentacles at home due to tough action by the Bangladesh Government, the jihadi organization named Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) is trying to establish its bases in Assam and other parts of India.
This was disclosed to The Sentinel on Saturday by Assam's Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of the Special Branch (SB), Hiren Chandra Nath.
The ADGP said that the Assam Police received input from Central Intelligence agencies regarding the attempt of the ABT and subsequently arrested some radical elements who have links with the jihadi organization.
He said that ABT's strategy is to identify and target for recruitment people who are religious zealots, especially dwellers of remote areas. The ABT recruiters also try to lure theological students from Assam who go for studies to the Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, Nath informed.
These jihadis even shun the use of mobile phones with a view to stay under the radar of security agencies. The Assam Police is keeping a close watch on sensitive areas as well as vulnerable sections of people to foil the ABT's plan to establish a base in Assam, the ADGP added.
On the other hand, Nath said regarding the latest trend of youths joining the ULFA-I that after three decades normalcy has returned to the Assam, as a result of which the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been withdrawn from as many as 23 districts. The Assam Police is working to ensure that the AFSPA is withdrawn from the remaining districts as well, he said, adding that they do not want some more youths to pick up arms at such a juncture and create fresh unrest in Assam. He reiterated that those who have newly joined the ULFA-I will not be given any facility for resettlement even if they return to the mainstream.
Nath also said that the ULFA-I is disseminating its propaganda through some web pages on the social media. These pages are being monitored by the police, he said.
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