Guwahati: Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed in the assembly on Monday that 114 “jihadis” in total, including 40 this year, had been detained from various regions of the state over the previous ten years.
CM Sarma stated that nine of the 114 “Jihadis” belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and that 65 of the “Jihadis” belonged to the proscribed terror group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in response to a question posed by Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed in the assembly today.
The chief minister added in a separate response to BJP lawmaker Terash Gowalla that the list also includes 40 members of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) who have been detained since March of this year.
“23 of the 114 arrested cadre members had their cases forwarded to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for investigation. The cases of 54 of the remaining 91 apprehended individuals are still under investigation, while those of the remaining 37 have chargesheets filed against them and are currently in court “he said.
The chief minister responded that since the BJP-led administration took office in the state in 2016, 84 people had been detained for alleged “Jihadi activities,” in response to a separate inquiry from the leader of the opposition, Debabrata Saikia.
He added that 10 of those detained in the previous six years had ties to madrassas and had attempted to persuade people by giving lectures at mosques, madrassas, and other religious gatherings.
“Moreover, they disseminated literature about jihad and spoke with one another through Omemo and Blabbr, two conversation apps. No one has yet been murdered in such incidents “said Sarma.
According to him, the districts of Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Dhubri, and Goalpara have been recognised as centres of “Jihadi activities” in the state.
“Jihadi activities are carried out by foreign nationals. Bangladesh is the most well-known of these nations, “CM Sarma told the House.
When asked what a “Jihadi” was, Sarma responded, “A Jihadi is a member of a fundamentalist organisation who supports terrorism through use of weapons.”
“Jihad is the name for the act of war carried out by Muslim extremist groups against non-Muslims while claiming that the religion is in peril. Jihadis are the name given to the members of such extreme groups “he said.