Poor police probe helps IM regroup

There have been a series of blasts in the past one and half years and watching the investigators closely who are working on these cases, it appears that the job ahead is tough. Although today the investigators have at least some leads on the Indian Mujhaideen’s Bullet 313 force, they do realise that this outfit had managed to take them on a ride for quite sometime which eventually led to a series of easy bombings.

The blast outside the Chinnaswamy stadium during the Indian Premier league two years back was the first of the signs to show that the Indian Mujahideen was very much alive. Down and out is what the IM had been termed as after a series of crack downs by the police after the blasts at Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Delhi. It is true to a certain extent that the IM was down due to the want of funds and lack of operatives. However what the police had missed after the Chinnaswamy blasts was a very key operative by the name Yasin Bhatkal was very much in Karnataka and he did manage to very smartly give the police the slip.

Yasin Bhatkal who hails from the coastal town of Bhatkal was not a new name in the outfit. There was plenty of intelligence on the man and his details were very well known to the police. Now despite this he continued to operate in Chickmagalur in Karnataka and had set up a proper unit in the forest area over there. He stayed on in this place and built up the outfit and all along the police were in the dark about the same. This unit that was set up by him is what helped the IM carry out the Chinnaswamy blasts. Although it was on a very small scale, it did manage to send across a message that the IM wanted to.

Ironically after the blast at the stadium, he managed to give the slip and till date is being shown as wanted in police records. According to the IB there were inputs that were provided. In fact the Bhatkal brother, Riyaz and Iqbal before fleeing India 3 years back had operated majorly out of Chickmagalur and strangely enough the police were unable to find the necessary leads regarding Yasin who also used the same den.

Although he left Karnataka, he never left the country. This was evident during the German Bakery blasts at Pune in which the name of Yasin figured once again. It was on the basis of interrogation and some footage obtained by the police did they realise that Yasin had played a key role in this attack. However once again, Yasin after the blast managed to give the slip and today according to Intelligence Bureau officials, he has crossed over into Pakistan.

The Chinnaswamy and Pune blasts did mark the return of the IM. Although not as lethal as earlier, they did prove that they had the capabilities to carry out attacks at will. After these two blasts, there was a lull before they struck again at Varanasi a year back. It was considered to be a hurried operation, but it did manage to spruce up the cadres who continued to operate in Delhi and Azamgarh. The IM had found it hard to recruit newer cadres due to a lull in activity. However these blasts did manage to get their shop running once again.

All through what the police can blame themselves for is the fact that they had not acted enough despite having enough and more leads. While Yasin Bhatkal can be considered to be one big blunder the other is the interrogation of Danish Riyaz another key IM operative. They interrogated him for days together, but were never able to find out what exactly the IM was up to next. Despite being grilled he did manage to dodge investigators first about the name of the new outfit and also about its plans. He constantly told the police that there was a new outfit by the name Ansarul Muslimeen. He further stated that this outfit was directly linked to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and had nothing to do with the IM. Despite knowing fully about the details of Yasin, he remained mum about the same which again became a stumbling block for the police probe. With regard to the IM, he constantly maintained that it was over and there was no way in which they could have regrouped. He spoke about the lack of funds and the fact that none of the cadres were interested in carrying on terror activities. He further misled the police regarding the whereabouts of Tauqeer also known as Abdus Subhan. He told them once that Tauqeer was in Ranchi and later said that he must have crossed over the border.

A larger goal- The IB says that this cat and mouse game will continue and it is necessary for the police to watch the movements of these IM or Bullet 313 operatives very closely. The blasts right from Chinnaswamy to Delhi (high court) are all attempts to test the waters. As has been pointed out before there is a need for these groups to carry out such activity for the sake of funds and recruitments. Moreover there is a lot of talk about the Karachi Project aimed directly at India and key operatives of the IM such as Amir Reza Khan and the rest are in constant talks regarding the same. Although this is a plan hatched in Pakistan they are looking for a very strong home grown outfit to carry out this attack and they find their answer in the Indian Mujahideen.

The past two years have seen four blasts all orchestrated by the IM. These may be fringe elements but with each blast they have only improved in their strategy which itself is a good enough indication that they are setting up their shop once again. The recent spate of blasts have given many

The past two years have seen four blasts all orchestrated by the IM. These may be fringe elements but with each blast they have only improved in their strategy which itself is a good enough indication that they are setting up their shop once again. The recent spate of blasts have given many young operatives the inspiration to join the IM. However more importantly it has also generated a keen interest in the sympathisers of the group to push for more funds.

The police may or may not crack the four cases in totality and there will be a lot of unanswered questions at the end of it. The road ahead is however tough since the police today find that there are many more modules which have come up and the number of opratives too are increasing with each passing day. The most important aspect of the probe would be to go back to the likes of Chotu, Sadiq Shaikh, Danish Riyaz amonth others who can for sure give a better picture of what is in store, the IB points ou

Infiltration-The ISI plan

Photo courtesy: The Tribune

A Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist by the name Nisar Ahmed was apprehended by the army yesterday while he was trying to infiltrate into the Valley. A team of the army, the intelligence bureau and other security officials continue to interrogate Ahmed and the immediate information that they have been able to get is that he was in the Valley with a specific purpose to carry forward the war on Kashmir and it was the Pakistan based ISI which was helping a great deal in such infiltrations.

A source in the military intelligence working at the Valley says that this has become more of a routine today. Nisar Ahmed is just one among of several 1000 militants who have tried to infiltrate into the Valley with a specific agenda to cause havoc in Jammu and Kashmir.

However our security forces can take a lot of credit since statistics available with us go on to show that the number of infiltrations into the Valley have gone down considerably. In the year 2011 there have been 98 infiltration bids which have taken place as compared to the 498 in the year 2010 and 490 in 2009. Although the numbers are down considerably there is no way in which the security forces can relax even a bit since such situations about a drop in the infiltration have been witnessed in the past too and this is only part of a stratergy to catch security forces off guard.

The interrogation of Nisar Ahmed will primarily involve questions pertaining to the role that is being played by both the Pakistan army and the ISI in helping the infiltration process. What the IB has found so far is that there are dedicated camps which are there across the border which train Lashkar militants and then they are asked to get into India.

Intelligence reports suggest that there are at least 500 militants who have been readied for jihad and are waiting to cross over. Although most of these militants have been dedicated for the Kashmir battle, there are some who could be sent to other parts of the country as well. However the primary requirement is for Kashmir since that will continue to remain the main battle for Pakistan.The past two years have been a cat and mouse game between the Indian security agencies and the terrorist groups. The biggest form of support for the militants was the local support and the Indian army had a lot to do before it could win the confidence of the locals. There was a change in the mind set of many locals and in the long run this did help the Indian cause. Militants relied heavily on local support who helped them with hide outs However today the local support has reduced considerably which is making it difficult for the militants to hide in India. This has made the militants of both the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar desperate. They have been finding it difficult over the past couple of months to send in their troops and also finding lack of volunteers to help the cause. During the interrogation of several volunteers and militants the army got information that the terrorist groups have been paying Rs 5 lakh per infiltration as against the Rs 50000 earlier. Nisar Ahmed too confirms this fact that there is a lot of money riding on infiltrations. Security forces say that looking at the steep increase in the amount of money that has been spent for infiltrations the desperation is very clear.

At the moment it does appear that the Indian security forces have the upper hand when it comes to dealing with infiltration. However they are also aware that the ISI or the Pakistan army would not give up and will continue to come up with various methods to ensure that they put their forces in the Valley. While on one hand they have been spending more money on the other hand newer wings are being formed to facilitate this process. The ISI has set up dedicated control rooms for this purpose and there is a steep increase in this. There are dedicated personnel who form part of these wings who focus only on infiltration and these persons comprise both members of army and the ISI, both serving and retired. Also what is being noticed is that the ISI has been deliberately not attempting mass infiltration and has been sending in militants in very small numbers. This is just a ploy to test the waters and this has been witnessed a lot since the past six months.

On January 3 2011 the Valley witnessed its first infiltration bid for the year. An infiltration attempt at the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch District was foiled. On the 12^th of January another infiltration attempt was foiled by Army on the Line of Control (LoC) at Shahpur in the Kerni area of Poonch District in the night of January 12. The next day security forces killed a militantat Rajouri.

On February 17^th the army foiled another attempt at  Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch District and on March 9^th two more bids were foiled at Alla Mai De Kothe.

However on May 9th the Indian agencies were foxed and they were unable to foil an infiltration bid which involved 20 militants into the Valley. However some of them were apprehended and during their interrogation it was found that some of them were part of the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban which gave the indication that many more outfits other than the Lashkar and HM were interested in the Kashmir battle.

On May 27^th the BSF foiled an attempt of infiltration at the Chak Majra border. On May 30^th the BSF foiled another attempt at the Regal BOP Naka.

In the month of June the BSF apprehended three militants trying to enter the Valley at the Ballar Post in Ramgarh sector.

On August 21 one militant was killed and two others fled back to Pakistan during an encounter at the Ghati Sector.

The issue of infiltration continues to be a cause of concern and the State government too is aware of this problem. Recently the J and K government set up 20 police stations and 50 outposts in various districts in the Valley to specifically deal with this issue.

New twist: Telangana plus Ananthpur and Kurnool?

The controversies surrounding the Telangana movement do not seem to end and the latest one is with regard to the inclusion of Ananthpur and Kurnool districts if at all the state is formed. There have been a series of meetings of various Telangana activists since this morning in which it has been decided that any such decision to include Kurnool and Ananthpur which are part of Rayalseema should be opposed tooth and nail.

The issue arose when K Chandrasekara Rao made this statement with some of his supporters in Hyderabad yesterday. He is said to have stated that he has information that the Union Government is planning on forming Telangana, but the clause would be Kurnool and Ananthpur districts would be part of it.

This mornings meeting of the Telangana activists decided to strongly oppose any such move and they have even threatened that the agitation will become doubly fierce in case such a thing happened. The activists feel that there is no such signal from the union Government and the same is being created at the state level.

However according to sources there is a such a push being made to include Kurnool and Ananthpur into Telangana. There are various factors that are attached to it and going by the observations of the meeting this morning the larger picture behind such a move does become clear.

The pro Telangana activists feel that this is nothing but a conspiracy. They even blamed the mining mafia to be behind this move. They feel if that Kurnool and Ananthpur become part of Telangana, then illegal mining can continue unabated and the ore can pass through Telangana without any problem. There is a lot of illegal mining activity in the Ananthpur district and in case they need to transport the ore it needs to pass through some regions of Telangana. They feel that by including Ananthpur into Telangana this activity could continue unabated. Moreover  geographically Kurnool is adjacent to Mehboobnagar district in Telangana and this is adjacent to Bellary which is also a hub for illegal mining.

During the meeting it was also stated that at no point in time during the Telangana agitation was this aspect ever discussed and there was no chance of these two districts being part of Telangana. They say that the general voice of the people of Telangana would be to oppose any such move.

While illegal mining is one part of the problem, pro Telangana activists say that once Kurnool and Ananthpur become part of Telangana a regional sentiment in the region will vanish and the state will be dominated more by the caste factor. The activists feel that in both Kurnool and Ananthpur the Reddys are a dominant caste and this would lead to the death of a regional feeling in Telangana since they would try and polarise the area. Moreover they also have the money and power to do so since they have always been a politically dominant class in Andhra Pradesh. Although in the Telangana region the OBCs are numerically higher, the Reddys according to the people of Telangana have it in them to change the equations due to money power.

There is a large section within the Reddy community who feel that the political dynamics would change a great deal if Telangana is formed. Their battle would be fought in Rayalseema and Andhra. However in terms of numbers they are much lesser when compared to the Kammas and Kapus. They also do realise that there would be a struggle for power between the Kammas and Kapus at that time. Moreover the Kapu community has been waiting for forever to have a long shot in politics in the state. They have never had a Chief Minister and they have always felt that it has been the dominance of the Reddys and the Kammas who have denied them that chance. However with Telangana out of the picture they feel that their chances could increase since the rest of Andhra would be polarised and their strengths would increase. These changing patterns have had a negative impact on the Reddy community who now feel that they need to do everything it takes to protect their bastions. The Reddys had managed a great deal of support in the Telangana region although the people there blame their for betraying them. However if Telangana is out of the picture they will have their dominance only in four districts-Kurnool. Nellore, Ananthpur and Chitoor. The general feeling among them is that they may become politically weak in case Telangana is formed and their battle becomes tougher in Seema-Andhra.

However some say that this sentiment is nothing new and the Reddys always wanted to be part of Telangana. J C Divaker Reddy too had once made this famous statement that a Rayal-Andhra should be formed.

While some behind the scene attempts are being made the people of Telangana say that at any cost they would not allow it. At the meeting they said that this should not become a subject matter for debate even since it is diverting the cause. If at all these two districts come into the picture, then the polarisation of the community would begin and the very meaning of forming Telangana is lost. They say that these two districts were never a part of the Telangana region and they see no reason why it should be even today.

The Bullet 313

In the past one and half years, the nation witnessed three attacks-Varanasi, 13/7 and theDelhiblasts. For quite sometime now the investigators have been clueless about the attackers and today gradually small leads are trickling in. Investigators are closing in on the Bullet 313, a group within the Indian Mujahideen which could have carried these attacks.

Post 13/7, the name of the Bullet 313 had come up very briefly. The name of this outfit was picked up based on intercepts and the interrogation of a couple of Indian Mujahideen operatives who are in custody in various parts of the country.

The Indian Mujahideen story is nothing new and everyone is aware of how the group had risen and also fallen. However since the past two years there have been very slow attempts to revive the outfit and the group has been working on some small level operators who have come together to form the Bullet 313. A name that is inspired from the Al-Qaeda’s 313 brigade, this group was basically created to carry out attacks inIndiaunder a new banner. Earlier there were communications which did indicate that the IM was planning something on the terror front. However this time around there was no mention of the name of this new outfit and the communication between the operatives on email or phone was nil. This had made investigators run around in circles and this only helped these operatives carry out their business.

Today the Bullet 313 is a force that is growing and could turn into a big headache if not curbed. It was carefully set up and the name of the new outfit was intentionally not revealed. Sources in the Intelligence Bureau say that they wanted a slight change in their strategy and did not want too much publicity about the new name since they wanted to set up a strong outfit. This outfit was set up one year back and it was decided that all new operations on Indian soil shall be undertaken in this name.

Take the interrogation of the various IM operatives in the country which were conducted after theVaranasiblasts. The investigators did realise after theVaranasiblasts that this had marked the return of the Indian Mujahideen, but the newer pattern that was being used was something that had foxed them.

Under the Bullet 313 a lot of usual traits of the IM were not witnessed. There plans were not extensive and the operations were on a smaller scale. People chosen for the job had no history in police records and the use of technology was almost zero. Most importantly the brazen mails were also missing after the attacks. Fora quite sometime the police had no clue about this group and who had even carried out the attack. Then came the 13/7 blast which was a slightly bigger operation compared to theVaranasiattack. Then came theDelhiblast which in fact for the first time in the three attacks showed signs that it was an IM like operation. A mail was sent out, but the intention was more to confuse the investigators leading them to believe it was the Harkat-ul-Jihadi which had carried out the blast.

By the time theDelhiblast occurred the police had a fair idea as to who exactly were carrying out these attacks. The mail after theDelhiattack was an intentional ploy to distract the investigators.

As per the preliminary investigation reports pertaining to all the three blasts mentioned above, the new group Bullet 313 was set up inDelhiitself. A couple of disgruntled youth in the Old city ofDelhihad set this up. Today the Bullet 313 has its strong wings in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. It is on a much smaller scale compared to the IM, but if left alone could grow into another headache. Moreover the formation of the Bullet 313 is keeping in tandem the tradition of creating new names every time a ban is round the corner. The Students Islamic Movement of India had just before the ban formed a radical side to it which later went on to become the Indian Mujahideen. The case of the IM is the same. After the crack down and just when a ban was round the corner it formed the Bullet 313. Terror groups do this very often to keep the heat off themselves. Today the Bullet 313 has approximately 500 members and the entire network works on a word to mouth. As mentioned earlier the use of communication even through phones is very minimal. They have also relied very less on the use of foreign funds and kept the number of cadres and modules also to a bear minimal. The basic idea was not to carry out large scale attacks, but to keep causing an irritation to the establishment with smaller attacks. They also did realise that carrying out very large attacks needed major planning and there was every chance of getting busted if they did so. Smaller attacks needed a maximum of four persons and they could have communicated personally and carried out the attack and this exactly is what we are witnessing today.

Over the past couple of months the police have been interrogating several operatives of the IM and each of them has spoken about how the outfit has been trying to regroup. Be it Danish Riyaz or Salman alias Chotu each one has been telling the police that some youth had been planning on staging a come back. However none of them even spoke about the name of the outfit which ultimately turned out to be the Bullet 313. Riyaz even went up to the extent of telling the police that he had recruited around 30 new cadres for the outfit. However Riyaz also went on to confuse the investigators by saying that certain attempts to regroup had been made, but due to the lack of funds they had to shelve the plans. The police were misled by this statement of Riyaz and this proved fatal since what followed wasVaranasi, 13/7 andDelhi.

Telangana alright-what about the farmers?

At the outset the battle for Telangana looks like a grand protest and the entire region has come to a standstill. In the days to come there will be more such protests and normal life will continue to be disrupted and it does not appear that neither the activists nor the government is ready to buckle down. However in the midst of all this it is the farmers who are bearing the brunt of this agitation.

The shutting down of the Singareni Coalaries was the biggest USP of the Telangana agitation this time. The Telangana activists were well aware of the fact that targeting Singareni would throw the state out of gear since there is a major reliance for power from this place. The power cuts officially in Hyderabad and Telangana were nearly 3 hours, but residents had complained there have been times when they did not have power for nearly 5 hours too.

Now the real problem is what the millions of farmers in the Telangana region are facing. These farmers are entirely dependent on the 1.2 lakh pump sets which are in the region and today they find themselves in a desperate situation since there is absolutely no power supply in the region. At this point in time when there is a great need for water, power in the rest of Telangana remains shut off for close to 6 to 7 hours. Worse it is at a peak time when they desperately need the water.

Farmers in the Telangana region when contacted say that they livelihood depends on woriculture and for this it is very important that they have to get power. Earlier we were thrilled that the movement was taking some shape and we were ready for the sacrifice. However today we bear the brunt. Yes we do need a separate state, but how much more to sustain and wait.

However Telangana activists who have focused most of their resources in Hyderabad say that the farmers are ready for the sacrifice. Moreover what is the need to cut power to such extents in the rest of Telangana. It is nothing but a ploy by the government to create a rift between the farmers and us. The objective is to frustrate the farmer to such an extent that they stop supporting the movement since they have to eat. There is no need for the government to lie that there is shortage of both power and water. A large part of Telangana especially the villages depend on the Shrisailam plant. There is no strike in that plant and all employees are at work. The water levels are the same when compared to last year and hence the production ought to be the same too. Why does the government lie that there is shortage because of the agitation? The government’s claim that it is producing only 30 million units of power this year is nonsense. The last year they had produced 65 million units with the same levels of water in the dams.

The farmers however argue that these are just technicalities and they do not really understand all this. It is a matter of our livelihood and no one has the right to play with our feelings, farmers also point out.

The feeling that one gets from the government is that in the days to come in order to ensure that the activists relent, they will increase the number of hours for which power has to be cut. Hyderabad will be restored to a large extent, but the villages will see cruel power cuts in the days to come. This would ensure that the farmers become desperate and they will back out from the agitation, the pro-Telangana activists point out.

The situation of the farmers is something that can bring a tear to any body’s eye. If this situation continues then they will be cornered. To add to their misery, the government is also planning on increasing the electricity tariff since the claim is that the production costs of electricity has gone up. The farmers who have a hand to mouth existence also complain that they have taken a lot of loan and they are unable to clear thanks to such insecurity. If power and proper water is not released for us then it is end game for all of us they say.

However in this battle the Telangana activists are not giving up. They continue to say that some of the farmers that we spoke to are forced to speak this way by the government. 90 per cent of them are ready for the sacrifice and they will lay down their lives for the cause. They also claim that a survey is being conducted in the entire Telangana region regarding this agitation. The general view so far is that each one thinks this sort of agitation needs to be staged and unless the state is formed they should continue.

The farming community in the Telangana region has always borne the brunt right from the year 1955. They have faced droughts many times which has made them borrow money and are unable to repay it. This has led them to being black listed and their chances of another loan has become very bad. However the farmers have taken other options and chosen to take hand loans and this has only made matters worse the rates of interests are very high. Further there have also been complaints that there is a steep increase in electricity charges and withdrawal of subsidies. This has increased cultivation cost of the farmers and has led to a lot of problems. Today too their situation is similar.

The activists are however hell bent on continuing this agitation and say that whatever it takes they would do to ensure that the farmers do not suffer. This is nothing but a government ploy to break them and the movement and this is not the first time that this is happening. We will tide through this the members of the Telangana Joint Action Committee point out.

T agitation-national channels bear the brunt

A meeting of the Telangana activists that has just been concluded in Hyderabad has decided to impose a ban on all national television channels with immediate effect in the Telangana region. The complaint is that none of the channels especially the national media has been downplaying the agitation.

A meeting of the students Joint Action Committee was first conducted and the satellite operators in the Telangana region were informed about the same. The operators have decided to issue a circular across the entire Telangana to shut down the telecast of all national television channels with immediate effect. The activists argue that the national media has intentionally downplayed the coverage and they have been unfair especially when the agitation was so large. During the meeting it was stated, “ if they ignore us then we will ignore them as well. The ban will be on the lines of what was done with the TV9 channel a month back.

The activists feel that the channels are catering more to the demands of the people of Andhra and Rayalseema and most media houses are controlled by them. If an Anna Hazare issue could get so much coverage then this ought to have got some coverage at least. This is not just our imagination and the Shri Krishna Commission report too had stated that the media should be managed with advertisements from the government so that they downplay the Telangana agitation. However this was part of the 8^th chapter of the report which was never made public.

In addition to this there are meetings of all the other JACs in the region on the next course of action. There have been some issues where schools and colleges are concerned and there are allegations galore that children are missing school. Now a Telangana wide survey is being conducted and the activists claim that most parents feel that they should make this sacrifice for the cause. What is the point in studying when none of our children can get jobs when Telangana is under Andhra Pradesh.

T- A final assault

The activists seeking a separate Telangana state call it a final assault and they say that this time around they would not stop until their demands are met. A two day rail rokho programme is on at the moment and the activists say looking at the success of this agitation they propose to continue with this programme for a couple of days more.

The entire Andhra Pradesh state cabinet has gone into a tizzy thanks to this agitation, but there is no word of any compromise from their end as of now. They have been threatening the imposition of ESMA, but have not done it so far. However the government is firm that none of the employees from Telangana who are on a strike will be paid their salaries. Some term it is as an empty threat, but one would need to wait until the end of this month to see whether the government would really do what they have threatened.

The pro Telangana activists informed that they would continue with this non cooperation movement and they really are not waiting for any of the politicians to further their cause. The autos, buses and other modes of public transport will continue to remain off the roads and in the days to come they say that they would only make life harder for the government. It has become an ego clash say the Telangana activists and let us see how long the government can hold on and not make an announcement.

The interesting move would however be from the MLAs and MPs from Telangana. These leaders from the Congress especially who have been accused of doing a drama with their resignations. All of them had tendered their resignation a couple of months back, but the Speaker had rejected all their resignations. Today the MLAs say that they would continue to put pressure on the government and would wait for an announcement soon. They say that they would tender their resignations once again on October 2 unless a positive decision was made.

On the other hand, K Chandrasekara Rao of the Telangana Rastriya Samithi has also decided to wait and watch how the agitation goes and also what the government would say. He has also decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike from October onwards which would only add fuel to the ongoing situation.

In the next phase of the protest the students have decided to get more aggressive. They say that they do not mind losing many more academic years, but would like a certificate only once Telangana is formed. The Government of AP has a lot on its plate to deal with at the moment. Not only do they have ensure that normalcy is restored in the Telangana region, but would have to also deal with the ongoing power crisis which the state has been facing due to the protests. The government is daunted with the task of ensuring that schools and colleges run normally since the complaints from several parents regarding their children missing school and colleges have also started to pour in. The pressure is also mounting on the government from the IT companies in Hyderabad since the attendance levels have gone down to nearly 40 per cent in the past one week due to lack of transport facilities in Hyderabad city. Until yesterday the government had reported a loss of Rs 2500 crore.

Del-Varanasi blasts-looking the IM way

Were the Varanasi blasts and the Delhi High Court blasts interlinked? As investigators continue to ponder and search for more clues, the National Investigation Agency has sought the help of the ATS team that is probing the Varanasi blasts for more clues.

A couple of days back it was claimed that there is some breakthrough in the Delhi High Court blasts and some operatives of the Harkat-ul-Jihadi were behind it. Today however there appears to be a diversion from that stand and the Indian Mujahideen link is being explored and hence in this regard it becomes important for investigators to look into the Varanasi blasts as well.

The trail began at Jammu and Kashmir where the NIA picked up two persons in connection with the Delhi blasts. On the basis of the mail they had sent out from there after the blasts, the NIA said that these boys were HuJI operatives and the probe went in that direction. Following this the investigators also questioned some operatives of the HuJI who were already under arrest, but later realized that not much of information was coming out of them.

Today the probe agencies are looking very strongly at an Indian Mujahideen link into the blasts. A member of the ATS team who has been probing the Varanasi blasts says that they are confident that it was the IM which carried out these blasts. The questioning of the operatives and the clues that have emerged so far give the indication that the youth who carried out the Varanasi blasts were from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

During the Varanasi blasts it was found that a module from Delhi had planned the operation and some elements from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were deployed to carry out the operation. There were also links to the UAE where a prime accused Asadullah Akthar is based and it was said that he was in the know of the incident.

The Batla House encounter is what is being quoted as the reason for the series of these blasts in the country today. There are a large number of youth who are disgruntled and continue to believe that the entire operation at Batla House was stage managed by the police. This has led to several youth from the Indian Mujahideen in particular to carry out such strikes. The aim is to embarrass the police force and also keep them on a wild goose chase, investigators believe.

The most active modules of the IM are still in the Delhi area and they coordinate heavily with the UP module. Although they are not in their full strength, they are still capable of being an irritant for the security forces.

Today the Delhi High Court blast is being read along with the Varanasi blasts and the investigators are looking into the similarities at least where the modules are concerned. Moreover right from the start the indication was very clear that a blast at Delhi was easier for the IM to carry out than the HuJI since the modules of the latter are very familiar with the Delhi terrain.

Was the blast carried out by the IM and the mail sent out by two youth in the name of the HuJI. We are looking into that aspect as well a source in the NIA pointed out. He also pointed out that the mail could have been intentionally sent from Kashmir since it is a known fact that the IM does not have too much of a presence there and the trail could lead up to some other terror group. It is clear that the IM does not want any trail leading up to it since during a rebuilding exercise it will not do good for them. Hence they are adopting newer strategies and would continue to confuse investigators.

To a large extent their objective has been acehieved. They had the investigators running after the HuJI all these days and today when the probe in on the IM trail, it has given the foot soldiers ample time to abscond.

The Varanasi team has ample proof with it to show that it was the IM which executed the blasts. They have a video and also the photograph of the person who cooridinated the blasts. More information was obtained through interrogations, but by the time they actually did realize who had carried out the attack, the person had managed to give the slip.

The key to the investigation into the latest series of blasts would depend heavily on how much investigators are able to obtain by the modules of the IM in UP, Bihar and Delhi. Although according to the reports of the Intelligence Bureau these operatives are working in splinter groups, the fact remains that they are still able to carry out an attack with ease and more importantly dodging the eye of the investigators.

Telangana day 10- Rs 2500 crore and counting

The battle for Telangana has become worse and both parties are refusing to budge. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has made it clear that it will do everything under the Sun to restore normalcy but would not yield to the demands due to pressure. It is a process and it will take its own course of time, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy said.

Official statistics would go on to show that the state has incurred a loss of nearly Rs 2500 crores due to these strikes and this time around the agitation has only become worse. The invocation of the Essential Services Maintanence Act has not impact on the striking employees and the government finds itself in a fix over this agitation.

The loss continues to build up each day and the Telangana activists say that there is no question of stopping this time since their patience is wearing out. Subhash Reddy of the TRS and Dr Prithviraj the Telangana Students Joint Action Committee Chief say that the agitation has become so strong this time since it has been conducted in a planned manner. We had said some time back that it is a peoples’s movement today. Moreover we did not want to throw all our eggs into one basket and hence the agitation was conducted this time in a phased manner. The government may say that the lives of the people are being affected, but then what we would like to ask them is why cannot the government give into our demands so that everything returns to normal.

This agitation has taken the biggest hit in the capital city of Hyderabad. Hotels have taken a beating, business establishments are complaining of losses and more importantly the students are bearing the brunt since there is so much uncertainity thanks to the never ending strikes. In addition to this the power situation too has worsened and the government has decided to impose a power cut in the city. Although the government says that the power cuts are for two hours some residents informed that unofficially they cut it for more than three hours a day.

The issue for the government is that the output from the Singareni Coal mines has reduced a great deal and this has taken a hit on the NTPC’s Ramagundem Power station and the State Power Generation Corporation. The employees at Singareni have been on strike for the past couple of days and in such a short period in time the power supply to the state has come down to 240 million units from 250 MU. This is quite a decline and if the agitation continues then it could only become worse.

The government has for now imposed power cuts to make up for the loss and is also contemplating buying coal from private companies and neighbouring states to tide over the crisis.

When one looks at the ongoing agitation at least in respect of the power situation it was clear that the government was caught napping. Telangana activists had at least a month ago made it clear that they would target the Singareni Collieries and the government never acted on it despite knowing that if this industry was hit the state would take a major beating on the power sector. Just ten days into the strike the coal output here has come down to 28000 tonnes as opposed to the production of 1.35 lakh tones daily. This agitation alone here has cost the government Rs 100 crore in the past ten days.

Road transport is another service that has been hit very badly. This has had a direct impact on the rest of the establishments and most people have become virtually immobile. Small industries have been hit since the employees are unable to commute and speaking to the Telangana leaders it becomes evident that in the days to come it is only going to get worse.  There is a rail rokho which is proposed on

September 24^th and 25th onwards and this could really put the situation out of gear further.

An officials in the Railways informed that nearly 55 trains have already been cancelled and many other diverted.

Telangana express, Bhagyanagar express, Hyd-Chatrapathi express,Adilabad-Nanded express, Nizamabad-Kamareddy express,Sec-Mancherial express, Kachiguda-Kamareddy express, Bikaner-Sec express, Shirdi-Sec express, Dakshin express, Dakshinlink express, Sec-Manuguru express, Sec-Machilipatnam express, Padmavathi express, Yashwantpur express, Hussain Sagar express, Sec-Nizamuddin duronto express, Sec-Rajkot express, Sec-Patna express, AP express, Gowthami express, Simhadri express, Tungabhadra express, Shatavahana express, Simhadri express, Sec-Guntur express, Golconda express are some of the trains that have been cancelled in the wake of this rail rokho programme.

The transport strike has also had a hit on the IT companies which have been reporting very low attendance in the past ten days. Many employees from the Telangana region have stayed away from work intentionally in support of the movement while some are unable to commute which has ensured that the drop in attendance has gone down to nearly 40 per cent.

The students however continue to be the worst hit and looking at how things are going it is evident that they would not be able to reach their target of 220 mandatory working days in educational institutions. Dr Prithviraj who has led the students in this agitation says that there is no deliberate attempt to keep the children off school or colleges. The students themselves find the need to take part in this agitation and they are ready to sacrifice for the sake of a large cause. No goal can be achieved unless a sacrifice is made.

In the past 90 days schools and colleges in Telangana have remained shut for 30 days. On one hand there is no sign of the agitation calming down and on the other the holiday season in October is upon them which would mean that more number of days are going to be missed.

In Telangana most of the schools and colleges have been unable to conduct their mid term examinations and on the syllabus front they have not completed even 10 per cent despite being half way into the academic year.

The case is similar for professional colleges too. In fact these courses have opened up in the month of May and till date they have had around 20 working days. Thanks to this situation most of the students are shifting away from the Telangana region and are seeking admission in other parts of the state.

The government has however decided to be as aggressive as possible while dealing with the issue. On one hand they speak about talks, but on the other they have decided to take every possible alternative route to resolve the crisis.

During the agitation it was witnessed that nearly 18000 teachers who are apprentices have joined the agitation. The government has decided not to regularize their services. The government says in order for them to be regularized they have to complete their mandatory probation period of two years and with them agitating they have not fulfilled the mandatory norms. However the Telangana agitators feel that these are empty threats and the government would not dare to do this since they know the problem can only worsen.

The government has also instructed the police to ensure that there shall be no road blocks on the highways. The government is also holding constant review meetings to ensure that the situation is under control and public life is not disrupted.

From Cong to CBI-Jagan bares all

Photo courtesy: teluguone.com

An entry with a bang and then a series of cases against him. Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of late Dr Y S Rajashekhar Reddy has been in the news ever since the quit the Congress party and formed his own party known as the YSR Congress party in Andhra Pradesh.

The wave was evident and right from day one of his much hyped up Odarpu Yatra of Andhra and Rayalseema, he pulled crowds in large numbers. Riding high on his father’s image and a sympathy factor, he went round seeking the blessings of the people. However this was cut short for a while with the Central Bureau of Investigation launching a series of raids against him.

Even when former Karnataka minister and mining baron, Janadhan Reddy was arrested, it was seen as a ploy to curb Jagan who is said to be close to the Bellary Reddy. The Odarpur Yatra which he is undertaking today came under a cloud thanks to the CBI cases, but what one witnesses is a scene no different from the first of the Yatras he undertook. Jagan is a picture of confidence and calm and says in this interview that the CBI raids are nothing but a witch hunt and the final judge is God.

As he continues to meet with various families under distress, he says that the next Government in Andhra Pradesh will be formed by him and no amount of raids can deter his chances since the people know by now that such raids are only being conducted out of malice since the Congress is worried about his growth. My father was a great source of support to me and he is the one who brought the Congress to power in the state.

Until I was there in that party, my father was a great man and today that I am out he has become a villain in the eyes of the Congress. The entire state knows what he has done for development and no amount of bad mouthing by his opponents can take that away from him. In politics each one has to face a lot of hardship and I am prepared for it. There is a witch hunt on against me and it is just a matter of time before the truth comes out. I am not worried about the CBI arresting me.

I know all the businesses are clean ventures and during the course of the probe, the CBI will also get to know that. In this state I wonder whether there is an opposition at all. At the moment I am playing the role of the opposition since the Congress and the Telegu Desam Party appear to have joined hands to fight me. It is a strange situation, but as I said I am prepared for everything and it was expected that they would try to stop my growth.

At the end of the day what matters is the love and support of the people which I have in abundance. I had said this on day one and will say it now too that the CBI raids against me is nothing but a witch hunt. I doubt whether it would result in my arrest since I have enough proof to show that all the ventures in which I am involved in are clean. The CBI has not called me for questioning, but I am open to any investigation. Today they are targeting my father in connection with the Emaar case when everyone knows that it was Chandrababu Naidu who cleared that project when he was the Chief Minister. This probe is aimed at not only ruining my political prospects but also the create a headache for my investors. However I maintain that all investments were legitimate in nature and this can be proven at the right time. The allegations are endless and it is being said that I had taken money and my companies had benefited when my father was the Chief Minister.

They speak about the Sandur Power Company which has an investment of Rs 150 crore. The fact is that the clearence for this project was given much before my father became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. I have heard a lot of allegations that I may try and destroy the evidence. It is an unfair statement make against me. The CBI itself has not come up with any concrete evidence against me as yet and they are yet to call me for questionining. On the future of his party, he says that it will go far and he has the confidence that his party will emerge victorious.

The people will cast their vote for me and today they all realize that the Congress is after me since they fear. Let all this continue since at the end of the day it will only help us from going from strength to strength. I am confident that my party will win 240 seats in AP. Many surveys have indicated the same the love which I get from the people also goes on to show me that picture. I connect with the masses at the grass root level and they do understand that I am here not only for their votes but since I am genuinely concerned about them. On the question that he may get back to the Congress, Reddy says that this is not a possibility. I am not thinking of anything of that sort and there will be no pre or post poll alliances with the Congress either. About the question of other alliances too, I am not thinking about it since I firmly believe that we will win the 2014 elections with a majority and would not need any support. This is not arrogance, but this is confidence that my people have given me. I know I am being accused of making the Congress weak and they blame me for the recent spate of resignations. You are free to ask any of them whether I have asked them to resign.

I have not even been in touch with them. Most of them are upset with the fact that the Congress has been targeting my father. They know what my father had done for the party and they will not take unwanted allegations against him. I guess these MLAs too were hurt and hence they came out of the Congress. How much can they sit and listen to the allegations against me and my father. It was bound to wear off someday. The Congress should realize that they have only more to lose if they continue to accuse and try and crush me. Many of the MLAs in the Congress had won only on the name of my father. They too realize that by staying on in a party which is accusing him they only have a lot to lose out at the end of it. On the current strength of the Congress, he points out that he does not think too much about that. I know that Chiranjeevi has joined them. What I have seen of him is that he is able to pull crowds and not votes. The Congress does not have any leader today who can pull votes leave alone a crowd. Regarding the controversial Telangana issue, Jagan has to say that it is up to the party in power to decide on that. I am not in touch with any of the Telangana leaders. They feel humiliated by the Congress at the end of the day and hence there is such a split in the party on that issue too.