Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said he has asked top police officials to probe a video clip that shows Al Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri praising a girl protester amid the hijab row in the southern state. "The forces are at work from the past to create unrest among the people by raking up issues against the state and national rules. The video clip said to be of the Al Qaeda chief, is part of it," the chief minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
He also said he was "not surprised" by the video. "There is nothing to be surprised about. Certain issues are unnecessarily raised by going against the law of land and making an issue out of it. Some forces have been continuously creating chaos and confusion among masses. As part of it, Al Qaeda has expressed its views explicitly,” Bommai was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
In nearly nine-minute video, which surfaced earlier this week, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the chief of one of the biggest terror outfits, praised Bibi Muskan Zainab Khan, a college student from Mandya who took a prominent part in pro-hijab protests and became known for shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ slogans to counter a group of boys who were chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram
The girl's father, Mohammed Hussain Khan, however, said the video would only create confusion. "I don't know who they are. They said something in Arabic, I don't know what they said. By this (video message) confusion will be created among us. It is not needed at all. I don't want appreciation. We are happy. Let us be happy. There is government, there is law, there is the police; they will take a future course of action," ANI quoted him as saying.
{{/usCountry}}The girl's father, Mohammed Hussain Khan, however, said the video would only create confusion. "I don't know who they are. They said something in Arabic, I don't know what they said. By this (video message) confusion will be created among us. It is not needed at all. I don't want appreciation. We are happy. Let us be happy. There is government, there is law, there is the police; they will take a future course of action," ANI quoted him as saying.
{{/usCountry}}The video has also sparked a fresh political row in the state as it triggered attacks from the opposition against the state government. "We condemn the statement of Al-Qaeda (on hijab row). It's a banned terrorist organisation that has no business commenting on the internal affairs of India. We also condemn the statement of Karnataka HM as both he and Al-Qaeda are polarising the atmosphere of the country," Congress leader Ajay Maken said on Thursday.
In response to the video, the state's home minister Araga Jnanendra had earlier said: “We have been saying this from the beginning, and the High Court too during the hijab verdict had suggested the possibility of some unseen hands behind the hijab row...now it is proved, because Al-Qaeda people are now releasing videos."
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)