State Government confirmed of having information of secret move of militants of Pakistani terror outfit lashkar-e-Toiba seeking help from some youths of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli to spread their network. However, they ruled out their connection with the riots victims. Government
also claimed that sleuths of the Anti-Terrorists Squad (ATS) of the State already reached New Delhi to join the interrogation so that they could further develop the information and launch a crack down against the suspects.
``Yes we had information that both the militants of leT held by Delhi Police in Haryana were is regular touch with liyakat, hailing from Jalalpur in Bhuwan area of Shamli and Zamilurislam, a native of Charkhil in Muzaffarnagar", disclosed IG (law and order) Amrendra Sengar and Special Secretary (Home) Rakesh Chandra, in a joint press conference here on Tuesday evening.
Sengar claimed that both the youths from Western UP were not just in telephonic contact with let ultras but had also visited Harayana to meet the two militants. IG law and Order also confirmed that leT militant had sought the help of two youths to help them accomplishing their mission.
However, Sengar refused to divulge anything further claiming that both the above youths had nothing to so with the recent riots. Sources, however maintained that both leT militants were in touch with the youths to help them to recruit some riots victims who could be prepared to take a war against India in the name of `jehad’. It may be mentioned that Special Cell of Delhi Police has disclosed on Tuesday that two Muslim clerics -- Hafeez Rashidi and Shahid, who were arrested from Haryana recently for their alleged links with leT -- have revealed to Delhi Police that they paid a visit to the riots-hit Muzaffarnagar and met some victims there. The two suspected leT operatives also told Delhi Police about their plans to recruit Muzaffarnagar riot victims for anti-India activities. This was also confirmed by some of the Muzaffarnagar riot victims who said the two leT operatives tried to recruit men from the relief camps set up after the September communal clashes. When some of them who were allegedly approached refused to work for the terror outfit, the two leT operatives went to Delhi to continue their recruitment drive. The two clerics arrested from Mewat in Haryana allegedly told the Delhi Police that they had been tasked to recruit young men for terror, and were ordered to visit Muzaffarnagar to identify operatives from disgruntled men in relief camps.
Meanwhile, the above disclosure of Delhi police and now confirmation by UP police had hots up political debate over the issue particularly as Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi had already come in for sharp criticism when he during a election rally claimed that Pakistani militant group were trying to recruit youths taking advantage of riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli.
On Tuesday Congress claimed that the development has now proved Rahul Gandhi's assertions right that Pakistan's ISI was working to lure the riot-hit victims. Congress leader Siddharthpriya Srivastava said that the report has lent credence to Gandhi's remarks on riot victims at an election rally in October last, which had invited flak from opposition parties. "If this information is correct that some people from leT had gone to relief camps to lure refugees, then it proves right what Gandhi had already said," Srivastava said adding that BJP’s criticism on Gandhi had just facilitated the subversive forces who were looking for every opportunity to divide the country.
In Rampur, minister Azam Khan discounted Delhi Police's claim that leT operatives had contacted residents of Muzaffarnagar, saying this could have been done just to prove "true" Rahul Gandhi's claim in this regard. "It is likely that all this has been done to prove Yuvraj's (Rahul) claims true.. or maybe it has really happened," Khan told reporters. "This had to happen. It was evident the day he (Rahul) said it. Rahul seemed to have received information about it before anyone else. He even said that he had been informed about it. "So, either he should divulge his sources or he should be asked how he came to know about it," the UP Minister said.