As the country goes for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19, Indian security agencies said that they have received information indicating that Pakistan-based anti-India groups and globally-wanted terrorists are inciting young Muslims in India to disrupt the election process and take up the 'jihadi' path in retaliation for perceived atrocities
The groups are allegedly using fear of right-wing Hindu organisations in India to indoctrinate Muslims, urging them to carry out disruptive activities during the elections and target electioneering activities.
According to the report, security agencies have recently identified several secret-coded chats and video messages wherein terrorist organisations are planning to target big political leaders during election rallies with an aim to vitiate the communal atmosphere in the country.
Fugitive Pakistan-based terrorist Farahtulah Ghauri, through video messages, was found inciting Indian Muslims by asking them to arm themselves with weapons and respond with gunshots and swords.
According to the threat input shared by intelligence agencies, anti-India elements based in Pakistan, along with Ghauri and cleric Mohammad Abdul Aziz Ghazi, who is affiliated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, are inciting Indians to embrace a Jihadi path in retaliation for perceived atrocities. They are propagating the notion that the Indian government is inherently prejudiced against Muslims who have been encouraged to organise themselves for a violent agenda. The message from these elements is a call for all Muslim organisations worldwide to unite and form an alliance to establish a global United Nation(UN)-like organisation based on Sharia to confront the Indian government.
After this recent input, security agencies are on high alert. The instructions have been passed on down the line to revisit hotspots before any political party rally. Monitor activities within jails, as several arrested suspects could potentially operate from jail with the assistance from a few jail officials.
The threat situation presents challenges for the security agencies as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Wardha on April 19 and Parbhani on April 20. In the coming days, he will also visit Mumbai and other districts in Maharashtra to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) across different phases of the election. Additionally, Modi is expected to participate in campaign events in other states as part of his party's election strategy. BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, and several other senior leaders are also scheduled to lead campaign events across the country. On the opposition front, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Indian National Congress, along with other prominent leaders from other opposition parties, will be campaigning during all seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections.
Furthermore, the threat input report highlights a concerning agenda to stoke communal tension in India, particularly during election phases. The strategy involves instilling fear among Muslims by invoking the name of the majority community and the Indian government, and reconstruction of the Babri Masjid at its original site. A few India-based organisations are actively pursuing this agenda, fostering Hinduphobia among Muslims while openly praising Gaza-based Hamas.
According to highly reliable sources within the agencies, recent years have seen Indian security agencies intensifying their efforts against terror networks, particularly those operating through the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political affiliates which are currently under intense scrutiny, banned groups like SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India), and a few fundamentalist organisations have also attracted the agency's attention for their alleged pivotal role in supporting ISI and ISIS terrorist activities through funding and operational facilitation.
Despite the agency's successful crackdown on local operatives and leaders, these Pakistan-based terror outfits remain undeterred. They are propagating the ideology of forming a united front to establish a Muslim organisation similar to the UN. Their ultimate goal is to orchestrate terror operations in India, with a focus on targeting crucial election phases and show to the world that democracy is under threat.
