The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : The mysterious ‘Hyderabad angle’

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

The mysterious ‘Hyderabad angle’

Special Correspondent

Intelligence baffled over terrorists’ claims

HYDERABAD: If intelligence officials are baffled over the claim of terrorists responsible for the Mumbai attacks that they were from Hyderabad, a more startling development was the faxing of the two-page statement from ‘Mujahideen Hyderabad Deccan’ (MHD) to media houses in the State capital on Thursday night.

Security officials are not inclined to believe that the terrorists belonged to or hailed from Hyderabad, but admit that the deliberate use of the State capital’s name pointed to the increasing focus of all terror modules on the city, which had attracted nationwide attention recently following intense allegations of harassment of Muslim youths by the police in the name of investigating the bomb blasts.

The reference made by the terrorists in the statement on their intent to carry out attacks in India till the erstwhile Muslim-ruled provinces (Junagadh and Hyderabad) were returned to Muslims pointed to the fact that Hyderabad is in the crosshairs of the terrorists. This has been the argument of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a senior IPS officer said.

The other demand pertaining to release of all those jailed ‘after being branded as terrorists’ was also significant to the city because many Hyderabadis are in jails in different States on charges of terrorism. Officials also point out that the language used by one of the terrorists during a phone call made to a TV channel also was not Hyderabadi Urdu. Moreover, the name ‘Hyderabad Deccan’ was peculiar since Hyderabad is never called like that, a police officer said. Before the partition, the two cities with similar names were called ‘Hyderabad Sindh’ and ‘Hyderabad Deccan’.

But after Independence Hyderabad was never called Hyderabad Sindh. “This slip-up itself shows that they are not from Hyderabad,” it is pointed out.

Whatever the reason for the terrorists’ claim, it is clear that Hyderabad is in sharp focus, police admit.

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