Post-searches in Varanasi, NIA arrests alleged IS operative
The Hindu
According to the agency, Siddiqui was actively involved in radicalising and recruiting youth for the Islamic State
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches leading up to the arrest of a person allegedly involved in an Islamic State-linked “Voice of Hind” module case.
The searches were carried out in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi and Delhi. The arrested accused has been identified as Basit Kalam Siddiqui (24), a resident of Varanasi. “The case relates to the conspiracy by IS...to radicalise and recruit impressionable youth in India to wage violent jihad against the Indian state by carrying out acts of terrorist violence,” said the agency in a statement.
According to the NIA, Siddiqui was actively involved in radicalising and recruiting youth for the IS. The agency had earlier arrested six alleged members of the “Voice of Hind” module, including Umar Nisar — who was the head of IS activities in India and handled media as well as ground activities for the outfit. Subsequently, it said, a new online magazine named “Voice of Khorasan” had been launched.
As alleged by the agency, Siddiqui was in touch with the Afghanistan-based IS handlers and had created/published contents to disseminate the outfit’s propaganda via the e-magazine. The accused was trying to fabricate an explosive termed “black powder” and gaining knowledge on use of other lethal chemical substances to be used for configuring Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Through several “Telegram” groups, he was teaching others how to prepare explosives.
Supreme Court ruling on socialism, secularism
Several principals of government and private schools in Delhi on Tuesday said the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular from a day earlier, directing schools to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode, had caused confusion regarding day-to-day operations as they did not know how many students would return to school from Wednesday and how would teachers instruct in two modes — online and in person — at once. The DoE circular on Monday had also stated that the option to “exercise online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians”. Several schoolteachers also expressed confusion regarding the DoE order. A government schoolteacher said he was unsure of how to cope with the resumption of physical classes, given that the order directing government offices to ensure that 50% of the employees work from home is still in place. On Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had, on the orders of the Supreme Court, directed schools in Delhi-NCR to shift classes to the hybrid mode, following which the DoE had issued the circular. The court had urged the Centre’s pollution watchdog to consider restarting physical classes due to many students missing out on the mid-day meals and lacking the necessary means to attend classes online. The CAQM had, on November 20, asked schools in Delhi-NCR to shift to the online mode of teaching.
Tamil Nadu rain weather LIVE updates: Follow The Hindu’s live coverage of the Tamil Nadu rains on November 27, 2024
Norway parliament apologises to Sami and other minority groups for assimilation policies
Nearly 50% of Dakshina Kannada’s shoreline has been eroded, the highest among the three coastal districts of Karnataka, according to a study for the period 1990-2018 by the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR).
Sambhal mosque controversy
The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on November 27, 2024
Bengaluru publishers face backlash over new quality affidavit rule for pending dues, sparking demands for fairness and transparency.
Indian space program milestones, satellite launches, private sector initiatives, and upcoming missions summarized by space enthusiast Pradeep Mohandas.
RMC Chennai predicts cyclonic storm, leading to exam postponements and school closures in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Controversial statement by Chandrashekhar Swami calls for stripping Muslims of voting rights for peaceful coexistence, sparking outrage.