Hyderabad: “Now the recent NIA probe has revealed that Islamic terrorist activities have increased in Hyderabad and a large number of youths are recruited from there,” said senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatraya yesterday. He further asked the Telangana government to form a special cell to probe the terror activities in the State.
His statement comes a day after National Investigation Agency searched three places in the State and Maharashtra on Saturday. The searches were conducted in connection with an ISIS module case and detention of four suspects for questioning.
Speaking to reporters, Dattatraya wanted the government to form a special cell under the supervision of a Director General or Inspector General-level rank officer to take up probe into such activities.
Such activities were more prevalent in Hyderabad, districts of Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Adilabad and Karimnagar, he alleged.
The leader further lashed out at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for remaining silent over the matter and said he only criticises the BJP government.
On Saturday, several digital devices and other documents were seized by the NIA from houses of the suspects, said a media report.
The NIA has been probing the case since 2016 as there has been reports that members of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) were involved in a conspiracy to identify, motivate, radicalise, recruit and train Indian Muslim youth on behalf of the proscribed outfit ISIS to carry out terror activities.
Two alleged ISIS sympathisers Mohammed Abdullah Basith and Mohd Abdul Qhadeer were arrested by the agency in August 2018 from Hyderabad.
This year on 7 February, the NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet against two accused in connection with its probe in the Abu Dhabi ISIS module case and the raids were carried out in connection with this module
Further, Dattatraya demanded postponement of the local body elections between 6 and 14 May and sought to know the need to conduct it ‘in a hurried manner’ when the general elections were on in the country.