Bengaluru: A couple linked to the Islamic State was arrested by Delhi Police for attempting to instigate people who were part of the protests against the newly amended citizenship law.

The police said that the couple were planning on carrying out suicide attacks apart from inciting Indian Muslims to conduct terror strikes.

The arrest does not come as a surprise as the Intelligence Bureau has been saying for long that these protests are the handiwork of anti-national elements, who are using the Indian Muslims and urging them to take up arms and wage a war against India.

The role of the Islamic State:

This is the second time that the role of the Islamic State has cropped up during the protests. Earlier, this month, an Islamic State handle had, on Telegram and WhatsApp, urged Indian Muslims to take up arms and overthrow the Narendra Modi government. The handle further urged the Indian Muslims to fight towards establishing a Caliphate and impose Sharia Law.

In the case surrounding the couple, police said that the duo, Jahanjeb Sami and Hina Bashir Baig, were in possession of sensitive material. They were part of the crowds protesting CAA. Their specific brief was to incite the Muslims, recruit and strike. The Intelligence Bureau had kept a close watch on them, following which the agency tipped off Delhi Police.

Infiltrating the protests:

Delhi Police sources and Intelligence Bureau officials tell MyNation that Sami and Hina would go to every protest in Delhi. They were present in Jamia Millia and Shaheen Bagh as well. Sami would speak with the Muslim men, while Hina targeted the women.

The sources cited above also said that both would urge the Muslims to get violent in order to make their point. They also scouted for both Muslim men and women and urged them to be part of the terror outfit. The IB learnt that they were trying to recruit Muslims, by brainwashing them. They would say that the only way to ensure the safety of the Muslims was by attacking the Indian establishment, imposing the Sharia law and setting up the Islamic Caliphate.
 
Attack Delhi:

The modus operandi followed by the couple is very similar to the one by the Students Islamic Movement of India. The Intelligence has said in the past two months that several members of the SIMI had infiltrated the protests in Delhi, Mangaluru and Uttar Pradesh. The specific ploy has been to incite violence and then recruit people.

In the case of Sami and Hina, it was also found that both were running social media platforms to incite Muslims. Sami used to work with a private firm and he along with Hina ran a social media handle titled, “Indian Muslims Unite.” They would say that the Indian Muslims must unite against both the NRC and the newly amended citizenship law. Delhi Police officials say that the couple were nabbed in the nick of time. They were planning suicide attacks and were in the process of recruiting a large number of Muslims into the Islamic State, the police official also said.

The conspiracy:

The Intelligence has unearthed several conspiracies in the last two months. The SIMI, ISIS and several leaders in the opposition have been fanning violence. The murder of Ankit Sharma, the IB staffer was also part of a larger conspiracy, the IB has said. The murder of Ankit was planned and was aimed at sending out a message to the establishment.

There are several IB officials on the ground who have been keeping a close watch on terror groups, the recruiters and also the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who have infiltrated the protests.

Recently, chatter picked up the Intelligence Bureau clearly suggests the role of Pakistan in the protests. During one call, a Pakistani national is heard telling an organiser in India that he needed to bring in more crowds for the protests. He is also heard saying that a good amount of money had been spent, but the crowds were not sufficient.

This clearly suggests the direct role of Pakistan in the protests. Several officials have said that the Muslim women at Shaheen Bagh have been paid to continue with the protests. It makes no sense for them to protest the CAA, which does not affect a single Indian Muslim. Officials have also said that these women are highly radicalised and unless there is an incentive, they would not continue with the protests, despite it causing so much trouble to the general public. Attempts to negotiate with them have failed only because of the fact that these women are highly radical and brainwashed.