Javed Munshi, a suspected member of the banned ‘Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen’ terror outfit in Kashmir, is released after being produced in the Alipore police court after his arrest near the India-Bangladesh border in South 24 Parganas district of Kolkata on December 22, 2024. | Photo Credit: ANI
The arrest of a suspected member of a terrorist outfit in West Bengal on Sunday (December 22, 2024) has reignited the debate over whether the state has become a safe haven for extremist elements.
On Sunday (December 22, 2024), a suspected member of the banned Tehreek-e-Mujahideen in Kashmir was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police and West Bengal Special Task Force in a joint operation in Canning in South 24 Parganas.
Alleged operative Javed Munshi was produced before a court in Alipore, Kolkata, which sent him to transit remand till December 31.
The incident comes a day after the West Bengal Police arrested two suspected operatives of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) from Murshidabad. Those arrested are Minarul Sheikh (48), a pump mechanic, and Mohammad Abbas Ali, 29, who is trying to open a small education center for children. These arrests were part of a joint operation by Assam Police where eight operatives of ABT were arrested. All those arrested have been produced in Assam court.
After the arrest, a war of words broke out between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the state’s law and order situation and infiltration from the Indo-Bangladesh border.
Kolkata mayor and senior Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim said the arrests were made by the West Bengal Police under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and had zero tolerance against extremists. “It is the duty of the Home Ministry to strengthen the BSF to prevent border encroachment,” Mr. Hakeem said.
State BJP president Suknata Majumdar said that the Center is ready to take all the responsibility of the border if the state government allocates the necessary land for the border wall.
BJP leader Amit Malviya alleged that the arrested ABT operatives had taken voter ID cards from two separate constituencies – Hariharpara in Kandy and Murshidabad.
“This incident is just the tip of the iceberg. Illegal infiltration of voting rights has become a significant part of the TMC’s voter base, enabling their continued grip on power,” Mr. Malviya posted on social media.
The arrests and political charges came at a time when developments in Bangladesh raised political temperatures in West Bengal. Alleged attacks on minorities in Bangladesh have given the BJP and other Hindutva organizations an opportunity to stage sustained protests in various parts of the state.
published – 22nd December, 2024 at 09:00 hrs IST