Author: Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay & Caesar
Mondol
Publication: The Times of India
Date: November 23, 2007
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/HuJI_Jamiat_activists_behind_Bengal
_rioting_Govt_sources/articleshow/2563375.cms
A day after Kolkata was convulsed by rioting
that even the Army found hard to quell, government sources said there was
mounting evidence that the violence was planned and executed by Islamic militants
and activists with links to a terror group.
It also transpires that police brass and intelligence
agencies had more than an inkling of trouble. They had told the state government
that leaders of an influential Muslim organisation based in north India were
paying visits to three mosques at Beniapukur, Entally and Karaya and holding
meetings with local religious leaders.
A report had been sent to the government about
their activities in the city and permission sought to search the three spots.
But the government rejected the request on grounds it might escalate communal
tension.
In a fresh report on Thursday, police commissioner
Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti mentioned religious fundamentalists were aided by
hardcore criminals, who weren't intimidated by the Army presence.
A preliminary investigation, sources said,
found that a relative of Asif Reza Khan, a don killed in an encounter in Gujarat
in 2001 and another person chargesheeted in the Partha Pratim Burman abduction
case had led the violence. Burman, the owner of Khadim brand footwear, was
abducted by kidnappers linked to the Bangladesh-based terror group HuJI. He
was freed for a hefty ransom.
Intelligence sources also said they were probing
the hand of a radical Islamic ideologue from Gujarat, Zakir Naik, and activists
of the Ahl-e-Hadees militant group. According to a Kolkata police officer,
there was enough evidence to prove that "anti-national, fundamentalist
forces" were involved in Wednesday's rioting. "Had it been spontaneous,
it would have spread across the city. It didn't happen because the trouble
had been planned by a few who were bent on creating a disturbance. We will
make arrests very soon," he said.
Fingers are also being pointed at the Students
Islamic Organisation - the students' wing of Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Hind, a group
in the forefront of the anti-land acquisition movement in Singur and Nandigram.
It got rejuvenated after many supporters of banned outfit SIMI joined SIO.
State president Asghar Ali, however, denied
having taken part in the agitation in which 36 people were injured. "We
condemn the violence and I wish to make it clear that we had nothing to do
with it," Ali said. Even though it has not yet formally named any outfit,
police believe the riot had been planned well in advance. While the blueprint
had been drawn up by people from outside, they had used a group of local youngsters
to carry out the job. Intelligence sources said they have tagged 22 men -
some with criminal antecedents.
This was the core group that led the charge
against the police both at Entally and at the Park Circus crossing. Intelligence
officers claimed that they did not belong to the Minority Forum or any of
the other organisations that took part. "We have already identified several
of them and will soon trace the rest," an officer said.
These elements helped spread the violence
across four police station areas - Park Street, Beniapukur, Karaya and Entally.
The entire stretch of AJC Bose Road from Moulali to Park Circus and CIT Road
was turned into a battlefield. Rioting soon spread to the lanes and bylanes
along the stretch while Park Circus seven-point and Ripon Street remained
the epicentres. The police believe the agitators changed their strategy on
Wednesday after police, refused to use force. That's when, the activists sparked
violence by damaging two cars.
"Local hoodlums are among those identified.
Cases of rioting, damage to public and government property and obstructing
government employees have been registered against them. They will also be
charged with an attempt to murder," said an officer.
