Bandaru Dattatraya demands special cell for investigation into rise in terror activities

Senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatraya Sunday demanded that the TRS government form a special cell for an investigation into the alleged rise in terror activities following the search by the NIA at three places here in connection with a 2016 ISIS module case. The former Union Minister and Secunderabad MP alleged that the investigations of the National Investigating Agency (NIA) revealed that 'Hyderabad is a safe haven for Islamic terrorist activities.' Now, the recent investigations by revealing that the Islamic terrorist activities have increased in Hyderabad and a large number of youths are recruited from there, Dattatreya told reporters here.

He demanded that the special cell under the supervision of a Director General or Inspector General-level rank officer can take up investigation of such activities. Also, he wanted the state government to keep a watch in and around Hyderabad and districts of Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Adilabad and Karimnagar, alleging that such activities prevailed there.

He slammed the AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for keeping silent over the matter stating that he only criticises the BJP government every now and then. The NIA had on Saturday carried out searches at three places here and Wardha of Maharashtra as part of its investigations into the Abu Dhabi module case and had picked up four suspects for questioning.

Also, the NIA had seized several digital devices and other documents from their houses. The investigating agency has been probing into a case since 2016 which it is alleged that the 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.' In August 2018, the NIA had arrested two alleged ISIS sympathisers - Mohammed Abdullah Basith and Mohd Abdul Qhadeer from Hyderabad as part of its larger probe into Indian youngsters being radicalised to carry out terror strikes on behalf of the banned international outfit.

On February 7 this year, the NIA had filed a supplementary charge sheet against two accused in connection with its probe in the Abu Dhabi ISIS module case and the fresh raids were being carried out in connection with this module based on 'fresh inputs,' official sources had said. The BJP leader further demanded postponement of the local body elections, stating that the Telangana government reduced reservation to backward classes (BCs) in Panchayat Raj institutions. He accused the Telangana government of meting out injustice to BCs and demanded the Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao to respond on the matter.

The TRS government is conducting the local body polls in a hurried manner, Dattatraya said and sought to know what is the necessity to conduct the local body elections when the general elections were on in the country and said the local body elections can be conducted later. The Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) had on Saturday issued notification for conduct of three-phased elections to local bodies - Zilla Parishad (ZPTC) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC). Elections for the posts of 5,817 in MPTCs and in 538 ZPTCs would be held on May 6, 10 and 14.