Intelligence agencies have intensified surveillance to ascertain whether the al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which over the weekend released a video clip making a personal reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is making any recruitment attempts in the country.
Asim Umar, al-Qaeda affiliate chief who is suspected to be of Indian origin, in his recorded statement said whether fought through weapons in Waziristan or the pen by Charlie Hebdo [the French satirical weekly newspaper which published Prophet Mohammed’s cartoon and whose Paris office was attacked and 12 people killed by terrorists in January], the “war” was the same.
Umar added whether fought through the International Monetary Fund or World Bank policies, the Kerry-Lugar Bill [U.S. pact with Pakistan for non-military aid], or through the “hate-talks of Modi, which call for Muslims to be burned alive,” it was the same war for the outfit.
Indian intelligence agencies are analysing the authenticity of the video clip. “In the clip, Mr. Modi has been described as one of the reasons resulting in purported atrocities on Muslims. It nowhere seeks to identify him as the outfit’s target,” said a government official.
Watch on Internet However, wary of adverse fallout, security agencies have stepped up surveillance on AQIS to find out if the outfit is making any recruitment attempts in India. “A close watch is being kept on activities on the Internet,” said a Union Home Ministry official.
