Parties bicker over ‘ISIS recruits’

While Shiv Sena MLA says hundreds have gone missing, Samajwadi Party says only four have disappeared

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the Shiv Sena’s claim that hundreds of youths have gone missing from Marathwada will be investigated by the police.

Congress and NCP workers protest at Vidhan Bhavan on Wednesday, disrupting proceedings of the legislative council for the third day. The Opposition wanted a committee to probe ministers in the BJP-Sena government, who are facing allegations of corruption. (HT Photo)

“The claims will be examined and if found to have substance, the home department will be asked to investigate,” Fadnavis said.

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi on Wednesday said only four youth from Parbhani have gone missing, while calling the saffron party’s claim misleading.

Shiv Sena MLA from Parbhani, Rahul Patil, said that more than 130 youth from Nanded and close to 100 youthfrom Aurangabad are missing and are likely to have joined the Islamic State (ISIS). He said that the state’s anti-terror squad (ATS) has endorsed his claim.

On Friday, Patil had said that 100 youth from minority communities had gone missing from Parbhani, where the ATS has arrested a youth for suspected links with the ISIS. He said that more than 1,000 youth from Marathwada have gone missing.

Azmi said the claims were an attempt to defame Muslims. “I have collected information, according to which, only eight Muslim youth from Parbhani have missing. Of them, four are mentally-challenged, while four are actually missing. It will be wrong to say they have joined ISIS,” he said, while raising the point during zero hour.

The threat of ISIS in Maharashtra was discussed in the state legislature on Monday with Opposition leaders demanding a debate on the issue.