The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two sympathisers of the banned fundamentalist outfit Hizb-ut-Tahir (HuT) in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The arrests were made on June 30 after extensive raids were conducted at ten locations across five districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai.
The two individuals, identified as Abdul Rehman (alias Abdul Rahman) and Mujibur Rehman (alias Mujibur Rahman Altham Sahib), were apprehended following a day-long raid. The NIA’s statement on social media platform X indicated that these arrests were part of a larger operation aimed at curbing anti-national activities linked to HuT.
In May, a significant joint operation involving the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the NIA, and Tamil Nadu police led to the arrest of six HuT members in Chennai. These individuals were reportedly involved in propagating against elections and democracy. Following these arrests, the NIA began closely monitoring the movements of HuT operatives through inputs received from the detainees and electronic surveillance.
According to the NIA’s statement, the duo from Thanjavur were conducting secret classes to indoctrinate youth with extremist ideologies. They promoted the notion that democracy, the Indian Constitution, and the country’s laws and judiciary were anti-Islamic. The trainees were taught that India was now “Darul Kufir” (Land of Non-believers) and that it was their duty to transform it into “Darul Islam” by establishing an Islamic state through violent jihad.
The NIA’s social media statement further described the arrested individuals as members of Hizb-ut-Tahir, an international pan-Islamist and fundamentalist organization aiming to re-establish the caliphate and enforce the constitution written by HuT’s founder, Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani.
In a coordinated effort, the NIA conducted searches at multiple sites, including the residence of Kabeer Ahamed in Mudichur, Chennai, and the premises of Abdul Rahman’s relative in Subramanipuram, Trichy. Raids also targeted locations in downtown Manangorai and Saliamangalam in Thanjavur district, lasting for several hours.
The focus of these operations was on rooting out sympathizers of Hizb-ut-Tahir (HuT), an international Islamist outfit banned in multiple countries including China, Russia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, England, and Germany. Founded in 1953 in Jordan, HuT aims to re-establish the Islamic caliphate and enforce its constitution authored by founder Taqi al Din al Nabhani.
Simultaneously, two days prior, the Special Task Force (STF) from West Bengal, with assistance from Tamil Nadu police, apprehended Anwar Anisur Rahman, a wanted terrorist linked to the Ansar Al Islam terror module. Rahman had been sought in connection with the Burdwan terror attack in West Bengal a decade ago. His arrest took place in Chennai’s Koyambedu area, where he had been working incognito as a laundry man in a three-star hotel.
Critics and intelligence sources have expressed alarm over Tamil Nadu’s alleged status as a safe haven for terrorists, citing purported negligence by the state government in addressing the presence of fundamentalist, naxal, and divisive elements. They argue that historical leniency towards such groups dates back to the early 1990s when the DMK government, led by M. Karunanidhi, allowed Sri Lankan militant organizations like LTTE and EPRLF to operate freely in the state. This leniency culminated tragically in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by an LTTE suicide squad.
Furthermore, concerns have been raised about the hospitality extended to Rohingyas, Bangladeshi Muslims, and alleged terrorists or their sympathizers in places like Tirupur, Coimbatore, and other towns. These individuals reportedly secure employment with forged documents such as passports, Aadhaar cards, and ration cards in various sectors including factories, hotels, agriculture, and construction.
Calls have now intensified for the Tamil Nadu government to take decisive action, empowering law enforcement agencies to crack down on these elements and prevent potential security threats. The issue has ignited debates about maintaining peace and security in Tamil Nadu while addressing the state’s historical complexities with extremism and terrorism.
