The one outcome of the latest confusion over Lashkar-e-Taiba’s alleged recruitment in Muzaffarnagar is a startling piece of information: The terror group is indeed on a recruitment spree, not just in Muzaffarnagar, but across several districts of western Uttar Pradesh.
The areas getting their particular attention include Mewat, Muzaffarnagar, Deoband and Shamli. Muzaffarnagar is close to Azamgarh, an Indian Mujahideen (IM) hub.
The fact, admitted by sources in the Delhi Police, flies in the face of intelligence agencies’ claims of three months ago – that no terror activity was in the offing in the area. Back then, it contradicted Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s comment about ISI attempts to recruit people from Muzaffarnagar riot camps.
This time, while the police clarified that the men who let the cat out of the bag were not riot victims even though they lived in Muzaffarnagar, they said the men had actually been picked up for being in contact with LeT operatives.