Nagpur : RSS’s headquarters in Nagpur have often been suspected to be a hotspot for extremists. Now, once again, there is a possibility of terrorists targeting the capital city.
In recent times, the extremist organization has become active, fueling concerns of potential terror activities. Just four days ago, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell apprehended Shahnavaz, alias Shafi Uzman, who had received training in meaningful engineering from an international institute. This alarming information has raised the possibility of Nagpur being a potential target for terrorism once again.
The Popular Front of India (PFI) has been regularly organizing meetings in Nagpur to divert attention from this issue. However, the security apparatus seems to be turning a blind eye to such activities, neither the ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad), IB (Intelligence Bureau), nor the city police’s Intelligence department seems to be actively investigating these events. Shahnavaz, who lived in Nagpur from 2015 to 2019, had established contacts with the Al-Sufa organization in Ratlam in 2018. He had been influenced by videos of mob lynching and atrocities on Muslims and was reportedly reading jihadist literature, even working with ISIS modules. He had also received training in bomb-making.
As a chemical engineer, he became proficient in making IEDs and other chemical bombs. He was known to have stored some chemical substances in a bungalow in Kondhwa, Pune, which he used for bomb-making.
Shahnavaz had been involved in anti-national activities during his education in Nagpur and later moved to Pune. During this time, he planned to carry out bomb blasts with his associates. The Pune police had arrested him while he was attempting to steal a vehicle, but he managed to escape later. Subsequently, the NIA initiated an investigation into this matter, and it was reported that a bribe of three lakhs was involved.
Ghazwa-e-Hind Campaign
Through Pakistan’s Ghazwa-e-Hind campaign, aimed at radicalizing Indian youth and converting India into an Islamic state by 2034, extremist ideologies are being spread via the internet and WhatsApp groups. This campaign has been effective in radicalizing Muslim youth in the country and encouraging them to engage in anti-national activities. The Popular Front of India (PFI) is believed to have links to this campaign.
