Kamaluddin Ansari, father of one of the Patna blast accused Imtiaaz Ansari, is looking forward to attend BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rally to be held in Dhurwa on November 29. The Sithio resident has also been invited by the BJP leaders on Sunday to attend Modi’s rally. Sithio village, which was recently identified by the National Investigating Agencies (NIA) as ‘Ranchi Module’ of Indian Muzahideen (IM), is just about five km away from the rally venue.
“BJP leaders today came to me and requested to take part in the rally of Narendra Modi. I told them that I will definitely go there if my health allows me on that day,” Kamaluddin said. Senior BJP leaders — CP Singh, Ajay Maroo, Gama Singh, Kamal Khan — along with the party workers on Sunday launched an intensive door-to-door awareness drive among the villagers in Sithio to invite them formally for attending the rally.
Appealing to the villagers, Singh said that as the wave of development was started by Modi in the country, Sithio would not remain untouched of that. “I request you all to come to the rally and become a part of the wave of development in favor of Modi in the country,” Singh added. Singh also told the residents out there in the village that they should try to forget the mistakes done by some of the youths in the past and start afresh. Mistakes committed by one or two youths in the society does not make the whole society culprit, said Singh.
BJP’s minority cell president Kamal Khan also appealed to the Sithio villagers to come at the rally ground on November 29 with a separate banner which would be a signal for others that they have defied terrorism and want peace and development in their life. Sithio villagers however, seemed to be in inclined towards Modi, and feel that he was the only option left with the Muslims as others had only ditched them in the last six decades taking advantage of their votes. “It is Modi who can take the Muslims along with Nayi soch - Nayi ummid (New thinking - New expectations). Others till now have only played with our emotions,” said a local resident of Sithio Md Muztaba.
In the meantime, they are also ashamed of whatever happened in the last few months and the whole village got labeled as terrorist supporters. They want to wash out the stigma once for all. “We want to wash out the disgrace which has engrossed us because of the mistakes committed by some youths in the village and propagate a message that we are also the supporters of peace and development, something….. Which, Sithio has yet been kept away so far,” said a local Tassavur Ansari. Sithio, a huge village of about 3,000 families is primarily dominated by Muslim community and still lacks adequate civic amenities - like pucca roads, proper electricity, health care and schools.
Imtiaaz Anssari’s father Kamaluddin meanwhile, also complained about regularly enquiry by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) sleuths during investigation. Imtiaaz is one of the suspects of Patna serial blasts who got arrested just after the blasts took place on October 27, a few hours ahead of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate was to address a rally at Gandhi Maidan. Kamaluddin was talking to the media after he got invitation from the BJP’s senior leaders to attend the rally to be held in Dhurwa on November 29.
“The NIA officials come here and torture us by using abusive languages or even beat us during the interrogation. It should not happen as it creates discontent among the local youths here,” said Kamaluddin.
He said that even Saturday, the NIA people called him up at Khukhri guest house and used abusive languages which were not acceptable to him. “They ask questions about Imtiaaz and if it does not match with other’s statements, they threaten us by using abusive languages which cannot be said in the public,” added Kamaluddin. “I told them they can shoot me….. But they cannot use such languages,” said Kamaluddin. Kamaluddin has requested the senior police officials through media to look into the matter so that they are not harassed any more by the NIA sleuths.
Ranchi MlA CP Singh on the other hand, tried to pacify Kamaluddin and said, “There is no need to panic as mistakes are bound to be done by the humans. But it does not mean that all are culprits in this village.” The residents of Sithio, who find themselves pitch forked into unfamiliar territory, are unable to come to the terms with an allegation that the village groomed at least six suspected operatives of Indian Mujahideen. The investigating agencies as well as local police are making regular visits to the village hunting for IM suspects.
Four out of six suspects -Mohammad Imtiaz Ansari, Mohammad Tarique Ansari, Mohammed Toufiqe Ansari and Mohmmad Noman -belong to Sithi, where the conspiracy to Patna attack was hatched.