Ahead of PM Modi’s Bhopal visit, Cong hits out at BJP over MP Minister Vijay Shah

Kolkata, May 26 (IANS) West Bengal Police has been able to get detailed information about several youths, some even minors, in different pockets of the state who were targeted by the three recently-arrested associates of Bangladesh-based fundamentalist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for brainwashing and subsequent induction in the sleeper cell of that outfit.

Sources said that these three arrested JMB activists followed a specific pattern for targeting the youths for brainwashing.

First, the targeted youths were contacted individually and encouraged to participate in programs reportedly meant for religious teachings.

“The main motive behind such programs, sources added, was to brainwash these youths and subsequently induct them in the local sleeper cells of the JMB. At those programs, the participating youth were distributed books and videos, which under the façade of religious texts and literature, subtly gave the messages of jihad.

In the initial sessions, sources added, the task of the arrested associates was to identify those targeted youths with long-term conviction and dedication to pursue the bigger aims of the outfit.

After the identification process was over, further brainwashing of the selected youths continued.

Already, the Investigation Officials have been able to track the Pakistan links of Abasuddin Molla, one of the three Indian associates of the JMB who were arrested by the sleuths of the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police earlier this month.

As per the findings of the sleuths, the coded encrypted messages recovered from the mobile phones of Aazmal Hossain and Saheb Ali Khan, who were arrested from Birbhum district earlier this month, showed their links only with associates of Bangladesh-based fundamentalist outfits namely JMB, Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HUT), and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

However, similar coded and encrypted messages recovered from the mobile phones of Molla showed his regular communication with some individuals based out of Pakistan as well as with associates of the Jammu & Kashmir-based fundamentalist group Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

Molla was arrested from Paturi village in the minority-dominated Diamond Harbour area in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, just a day after two others were arrested from Birbhum district earlier this month.

Recently, the Union Home Ministry received information from Intelligence agencies about the alleged role of illegal Bangladeshi intruders in fuelling violence and vandalism in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district over violent protests against the newly-promulgated Waqf (Amendment) Act.

The names of JMB, HUT, and ABT surfaced in that Intelligence input. However, considering the geographical locations of the pockets where the tension and violence had been maximum this time, especially Samserganj, the possibility of ABT playing a role in fomenting the violence sounded more logical.

On the eastern side of the International Border at Samserganj and Dhulian, is the Bangladeshi district of Chapai-Nawabganj, which is considered the stronghold of the ABT.

Sources added that because of this geographical proximity, the chances of ABT’s involvement in the latest developments at Murshidabad are most likely.

–IANS

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Prayagraj, Feb 10 (IANS) A sea of vehicles stretching up to 300 kilometres turned the roads leading to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj into a massive parking lot, leaving lakhs of devotees stranded for hours, unable to reach the world’s largest religious gathering.

The unprecedented congestion forced many to remain stuck in their vehicles, some even hundreds of kilometres away from the fair site on Sunday and Monday.

A day earlier, heavy traffic heading toward Prayagraj had already led to police stopping hundreds of vehicles in different areas of Madhya Pradesh to prevent overcrowding.

The extreme bottleneck, which social media users dubbed the “world’s biggest traffic jam,” reportedly extended across 200 to 300 kilometres, affecting pilgrims travelling through Madhya Pradesh.

The situation prompted the state police to halt traffic across multiple districts, leaving travellers stuck for long hours on highways.

Taking a swipe at the Uttar Pradesh government, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav blasted the administration’s handling of the event, urging authorities to address the plight of stranded devotees.

“The hungry, thirsty, distressed, and exhausted pilgrims stuck in traffic jams should be looked at with a humane perspective. Are common devotees, not human beings?” Yadav asked in a post on X.

The former Chief Minister also demanded that vehicles be made toll-free across Uttar Pradesh during the Maha Kumbh to ease congestion and ensure a smoother journey for devotees.

“On the occasion of Maha Kumbh, vehicles should be made toll-free in UP. This will reduce travel problems and also the issue of traffic jams. When films can be made entertainment tax-free, then why not exempt vehicles from tolls for this religious event?” he wrote.

He further highlighted specific trouble spots, mentioning major jams at Nawabganj, 30 km before entering Prayagraj from the Lucknow side, a bottleneck at Gauhania, 16 km before Rewa Road, and a traffic snarl extending 12-15 km towards Varanasi.

He also cited reports of overcrowding in trains, with passengers even squeezing into engines to reach their destination. “Normal life has become difficult,” he added.

Meanwhile, authorities in Madhya Pradesh responded by halting vehicular movement in multiple districts. In Katni, police announced through loudspeakers that traffic had been stopped until Monday. In Maihar, officers advised vehicles to turn back toward Katni and Jabalpur to find temporary shelter.

Several videos circulating on social media captured the extent of the congestion, with endless lines of cars and trucks clogging roads across the Katni, Jabalpur, Maihar, and Rewa districts. Eyewitnesses reported that the traffic jam spanned nearly 250 kilometres from Katni to the MP-UP border at Chakghat in Rewa district.

As the crisis unfolded, Madhya Pradesh BJP president V.D. Sharma urged party workers to assist stranded pilgrims in their respective regions. “All workers are requested to help the devotees heading to Maha Kumbh in every possible way. Arrange food and shelter if needed. Ensure that no devotee faces inconvenience. Let us play our role in this Maha Yagya,” he posted on X.

Frustrated devotees have also voiced their grievances over the mismanagement of the traffic situation. Pilgrims from Faridabad reported that what should have been a routine journey took them over 24 hours to reach Prayagraj. A family from Jaipur shared their frustration, saying they were stuck for hours just to cover a mere four-kilometre stretch.

With the Maha Kumbh continuing until February 26, authorities face mounting pressure to resolve the traffic chaos and ensure smoother movement for the remaining weeks of the grand religious gathering.

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) A month after the Pahalgam terror attack shook Jammu and Kashmir, BJP Rajya Sabha member Gulam Ali Khatana on Thursday claimed that the region has returned to normalcy and urged people from across India to visit and experience the hospitality of the Valley.

Talking to IANS, Khatana said: “J&K has become normal. The hospitality of the people here is known worldwide.”

Referring to the recent attack in Pahalgam as a “horrific scene”, he emphasised that such incidents should not recur.

“Hopefully, our security will ensure full protection so tourists can enjoy the beauty and warmth of Kashmir,” he added.

Khatana, a member of the all-party delegations sent to various nations to highlight India’s efforts against terrorism, underscored the significance of India’s Operation Sindoor in dismantling terror infrastructure and exposing Pakistan’s role in fostering cross-border terrorism.

“We are presenting India’s case globally and revealing how Pakistan has been contracting terrorism — be it in Punjab earlier, Kashmir for the past 25–30 years, or even in Afghanistan. It’s a hostile state where democracy is strangled, and whose nuclear assets are unsafe. We urge international agencies, including the atomic watchdog agency, to take note,” he told IANS.

Khatana backed the Centre’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism, stating that India stands united in the fight and Operation Sindoor is a strong testament to that resolve.

On Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre, claiming that the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack are roaming freely in J&K and were involved in three other attacks in the last 18 months, he said: “These are matters for the Home and Defence Ministries – not the opposition’s concern.”

On the other hand, Khatana welcomed former Union Minister Anand Sharma’s support for Operation Sindoor and the government’s diplomatic outreach. The Congress leader had lauded the move to send an all-party delegation abroad to present India’s stance on terrorism. However, as a few leaders are criticising the government on Operation Sindoor, the MP said: “When people are rejected politically, frustration levels naturally rise.”

–IANS

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