Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has welcomed the Assam government’s decision to introduce standard operating procedure (SOP) including police verification for the Imams and madrasa teachers who come to Assam from other states.
But AIUDF has demanded to make standard operating procedure (SOP) for other religious institutions also.
AIUDF MLA and party general secretary Karimuddin Barbhuiya said, “We welcome the decision taken by the Assam government and announcement of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding internal security, but it should not be politicized. Do not defame the entire Muslim community for someone.”
He further said that there are around 1,200 non-government private madrasas and 50,000 mosques in Assam.
Following the arrest of two imams linked with Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) from Assam’s Goalpara district, the state government has taken up stringent measures to stop jihadi activities in the state.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that the state government is developing a portal where the Imam and teachers of Madrasas who come from outside of the state will have to register their details in the portal.
He said of the two people arrested by Assam police on Sunday, one was a kingpin who also worked as an imam in a mosque.
He claimed that one of the two suspected terrorists arrested by the Assam police on Sunday was a kingpin who also served as a mosque imam.
“Out of two arrested, one worked as an Imam in a Mosque and he was a kingpin. He had expanded the Jihadi network in many villages. Six Bangladeshi nationals had entered Assam for expanding the Jihadi network. Out of six Bangladeshi nationals, Assam police have arrested one and five are still absconding. Assam police will continue its operation,” Sarma said.
“We now have made some Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that if any imam comes to the village, you must have to inform local police for the verification. After being verified by the police, people can hire him as an imam. The Muslim society of Assam is extending their support to us on this,” Sarma said.
Additionally, the Chief Minister said that it is not for the resident of Assam.
“There is no need to register their details for those who are the resident of Assam. But those who come from outside of the state will have to register their details in the portal,” he asserted.
Earlier today, a local court of Assam’s Goalpara district sent two arrested suspected terrorists linked with Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) to seven-day of police custody.
VV Rakesh Reddy, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Goalpara district told ANI that, both suspected terrorists were produced before the court in Goalpara on Sunday evening and the court sent them to 7 days of police custody.
The arrested terrorists were identified as Abdus Subhan, Imam of Tinkunia Shantipur Mosque under Mornoi police station and Jalaluddin Sheikh, Imam of Tilapara Natun Mosque under Matia police station in Goalpara district.
The senior police official further said that they had given logistic support to the Jihadi terrorists who came here from Bangladesh and during interrogation, they confessed to being members of AQIS and recruited Ansars/Sleeper Cells in Goalpara district.
“Our investigation is on. We have found input that, the absconding Bangladeshi terrorists were engaged in the task to radicalize many people in the district. We are verifying about forming of sleeper cells in the district. During interrogation, the arrested two terrorists revealed a few more names and we are trying to identify these persons,” Reddy said.
“The arrested persons had organized one Dharma Sabha in December 2019 at Sundarpur Tilapara Madrassa under Matia police station where many Bangladeshi nationals with linkages to AQIS were invited as guest speakers and that Dharma Sabha is only helpful to have a gathering or kind of indoctrination. We have not gotten any input about arms training in the district so far,” he added.
Since March this year, Assam police have busted five modules of AQIS/ABT in the state and arrested 35 persons. (ANI)
