- NET Web Desk
The Assam Chief Minister – Himanta Biswa Sarma today asserted that altogether 114 “Jihadis” have been apprehended from different parts of the state within the last 10 years, including 40 this year.
In a written reply to a query by Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed in the Assam Assembly, Sarma noted that out of the 114 “Jihadis”, 65 were members of banned terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and nine were linked with the outlawed group – Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).
The CM in a separate response to the BJP legislator – Terash Gowalla noted that the list also includes 40 cadres of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) who were arrested since March this year.
“Out of the 114 cadres, the cases of 23 arrested people were transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for probe. Of the remaining 91 nabbed people, the cases of 54 were still pending investigation, while chargesheets were filed in the cases of the remaining 37 and they were undergoing trial,” he said.
Sarma, who holds the Home portfolio, said Meghalaya’s North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) has completed mapping of ‘char’ (sandbar) areas across Assam. The ‘char’ areas in the state are mostly inhabited by Bengali-speaking Muslims.
He said Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara districts have been identified as bases of “Jihadi activities” in the state.
“Foreign nationals are involved in Jihadi activities. Out of such countries, Bangladesh is the most prominent one,” Sarma told the House.
Out of the 40 people arrested this year, two are women hailing from Morigaon and Dhubri districts, he said. “The member of a fundamentalist group who supports terrorism by use of weapons is called a Jihadi,” – he further added.
“Waging of war by Muslim fundamentalist organizations against opponents of Islam, citing the reason that the religion is in danger, is called Jihad. The members of such fundamentalist groups are called Jihadis,” he mentioned.
