Key terror conspirator affiliated with ISIS held at Delhi airport
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday nabbed a key ISIS terror conspirator after he landed at the airport here from Kenya's Nairobi, an official said.
Arafath Ali was taken into custody the moment he landed, an agency spokesperson said, adding it marks a major breakthrough for the NIA in its efforts to uncover and foil the conspiracy of foreign-based Islamic State modules to carry out terrorist acts in India.
The official said Ali had been absconding since 2020, when he was accused of indulging in ISIS propaganda activities and planning terrorist acts.
"He had since been operating from abroad to promote anti-India terror agenda of ISIS," the spokesperson said.
The official said the investigations have revealed that Ali, a resident of the Shivamogga district of Karnataka, was actively involved in the identification, radicalisation and recruitment of gullible Muslim youths into the proscribed global terror group while working from abroad.
"As part of the Shivamogga terror conspiracy case, one accused, Mohamed Shariq, had been on his way to plant a pressure cooker IED at Kadri Manjunatha Temple, Mangaluru, when the IED exploded accidentally in an auto-rickshaw. Ali had been in active touch with other accused persons in the case, and was actively involved in the planning and execution of the conspiracy," the spokesperson said.
The agency said Ali was also responsible for the two Mangaluru wall graffiti cases of 2020, when, on his directions, two other accused -- Mohamed Shariq and Maaz Muneer Ahmed -- had written, "Don't force us to invite Lashkar-e-Taiba and Taliban to deal with Sanghis and Manvedis #Lashkar Zindabad".
Investigations against Ali and other suspects in the case continue, the spokesperson said.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
