Chat groups on messaging apps that had been dormant for the past year have been reactivated by terror outfits to spread inciting messages and threats on the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, top intelligence sources told News18. The frequency of such chatter on messaging platforms increased closer to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ or consecration ceremony of the temple on January 22, they added.
The call to “prepare for 2024” by leaders of terror groups has set off alarm bells within central intelligence and monitoring agencies, with a top official saying latest analysis has revealed a concerning surge in activities across various messaging mobile applications, particularly among old groups that had been relatively inactive for the past year.
“Suddenly, these groups are reinvigorated, spreading multiple messages inciting violence and framing the construction of Ram Mandir as a declaration of war,” the official told News18.
Sources said that the most active groups are flooded with messages from Farhatullah Ghori, a declared terrorist with involvement in cases related to the 2002 Akshardham Temple terror attack. Ghori is a key member of proscribed terrorist organizations, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Currently in Pakistan, Ghori operates on platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube, using them to radicalise the youth. In October 2020, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs designated him as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Last year, the Special Cell arrested one of his suspected handlers in the national capital.
Sources in the security grid said various groups with close to 100-200 members, previously dormant, are now actively sending messages on the Ram Mandir. These messages, originating from leaders of terror groups, are of highly sensitive nature, official said. A central cyber agency reportedly conducted an analysis, revealing the resurgence of several groups, and subsequently shared the findings with different agencies for appropriate action.
Cognizant of the fact that Ghori’s influence extends beyond messaging as he plays a pivotal role in instigating violence and promoting extremist ideologies, intelligence agencies have shared inputs and are coordinating with other agencies to avert any attacks, officials said.
The idol of the new Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on Monday, a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also gave a clarion call to go beyond the grand mandir‘s construction to build the foundation of a “strong, capable and divine” India of the next 1,000 years.
Comments
0 comment