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How did the Indian security forces find the connection of Al Qaeda in the village of Murshidabad?
Shubhjyoti Ghosh BBC Bangla, Delhi
An hour ago

Photo source, GETTY IMAGES
Photo caption,
The NIA is headquartered in India
A total of nine Muslims arrested in raids in West Bengal and Kerala in India have been called into question after the National Investigation Agency, or NIA, claimed to be active members of Al Qaeda.
India's most powerful anti-terrorism agency says the arrested men were preparing to carry out militant attacks in various places, including the capital Delhi.
But human rights activists and counter-activists have raised counter-questions, such as how is it possible to find alliances with these Indian nationals where al Qaeda's existence is threatened internationally?
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Adhir Chowdhury also thinks that even if the detainees are members of Al Qaeda, it is the result of the government's communal politics.
India's National Investigation Agency said in a press statement two days ago that it had arrested a total of nine people - all members of the international militant group Al Qaeda - in a joint operation in Murshidabad in West Bengal and Ernakulam in Kerala.
The NIA claimed that a large number of jihadi books, indigenous firearms, digital devices and explosives were recovered from them.
Meenakshi Ganguly, head of Human Rights Watch's South Asia division, told the BBC she was having trouble believing they were members of al Qaeda.
"Al Qaeda is not operating now. Peace talks are going on in Afghanistan. We don't see any al Qaeda activities. So why did the NIA suddenly talk about al Qaeda?"
"They are also withdrawing the US troops that were deployed to fight al Qaeda in Afghanistan."
"Isn't it a strange thing that we are still looking for al Qaeda in India, where President Trump is ending the 'War on Terror' against al Qaeda?", Asked Miss Ganguly.

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Photo caption,
Meenakshi Ganguly
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India's NIA, however, says a preliminary investigation has found that Pakistan-based al-Qaeda members radicalized the Murshidabad residents through social media.
Nisha Biswas, a well-known civil rights activist in West Bengal, said Indian police or various investigating agencies had previously detained hundreds of Muslim youths in connection with various militant attacks and charged them as members of Islamic State or Al Qaeda. But in almost ninety percent of the cases, nothing was proved against them in the end.
Nisha Biswas said, "In fact, the pattern of this government is to divert people's attention from the real issue: put the blame for the epidemic on the Tabligh Jamaat, show Ramminder if there is any criticism of labor law reform."
"At the moment, the government is desperate to get a lot of bills passed in parliament. In order not to talk too much about them, trick some people into calling them anti-national - that's exactly what happened in Murshidabad."

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Photo caption,
India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval with NIA chief Yogesh Chandra Modi
Dr. Biswas also observed that in the last few years, the National Investigating Agency has been given an incredible amount of power.
"The NIA is being abused to its full potential."
"If you are a Hindu, there is a case like Bhima-Koregaon, and if you are a Muslim, there is no case for Kashmir or citizenship for illegal protests. There is no shortage of excuses. Opposition voices are being silenced."
"This is exactly what the NIA is doing now on behalf of the government - the way the CIA has been used so far to search or intimidate opposition politicians," he said.
Murshidabad district MP and Congress opposition leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury did not directly say that the detainees were not linked to al-Qaeda - but his statement was also sarcastic towards the NIA.

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Photo caption,
Adhir Chowdhury is the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha
In his words, "Murshidabad has been mentioned before in various militant attacks in India. Bangladesh's Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen or JMB also had bases in this district."
"But an organization like Al Qaeda, whose leader was Osama bin Laden or who destroyed America's Twin Towers - the link of Murshidabad with such a horrible, horrible organization? But to me it has become a matter of great concern," he commented.
Adhir Chowdhury claims that the way the present Indian government is pursuing communal politics is not sending the right message to a large number of people in the country.
And various militant organizations may be trying to get people to join the group.
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