A shocking detail in the Mangaluru auto rickshaw blast case has emerged, a lesser-known Islamist terrorist outfit Islamic Resistance Council (IRC) claimed responsibility for the blast on November 19.
The Islamist group has said that one of its ‘Mujahid brothers’ Mohammad Shariq attempted to blow up a ‘Hindutva temple’ in Kadri.
“We, the Islamic Resistance Council (IRC), would like to convey this message: One of our Mujahid brother Mohammed Shariq attempted to attack the Hindutva Temple in Kadri (in Dakshina Kannada district), a bastion of the Saffron terrorists in Mangaluru,” said the message, which went viral on social media.
According to the post, Shariq successfully escaped despite being wanted and chased by state intelligence agencies and mounted an attack.
The Mangaluru Police ADGP Alok Kumar has stated that the police are verifying the authenticity of the note issued by the so-called Islamic Resistance Council, as well as the alleged outfit’s background and activities.
Notably, the said Islamist outfit has threatened ADGP Alok Kumar too.
“To those who are celebrating the arrest of the brother, especially ADGP Alok Kumar, we say, “Your joy will be short-lived, and you will soon reap the fruits of your oppression.” We’ve got you in our sights, and it’s just a matter of when, not if, we’ll get to you.”
On November 19, an auto-rickshaw exploded in Mangaluru, Karnataka’s coastal town. The accused terrorist Mohammed Shariq was carrying a pressure cooker, and police found that there was an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the cooker which exploded. Shariq had hired the auto-rickshaw posing as a passenger.
Gelatin powder, circuit boards, tiny bolts, batteries, mobile phones, wood power, aluminium multimeters, cables, mixing jars, pressure cookers, and other components required to build explosives were found by the FSL team. One mobile phone, two fake Aadhaar cards, one fake pan card, and one FINO debit card were also recovered by the forensic experts.
On November 20, the Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) took to Twitter to announce that the explosion was not an accident but an ‘act of terror.’
“It’s confirmed now,” said the Director General of Police (DGP) in a tweet, “The blast is not accidental but an act of terror with the intention to cause serious damage. Karnataka State Police is probing deep into it along with central agencies.”
The findings, in this case, are similar to those in the Coimbatore blast case, in which an LPG cylinder exploded inside a car. On October 23, a 25-year-old man died in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, when an LPG cylinder in a vehicle exploded in the communally sensitive Kottaimedu region.
(This article first appeared on opindia.com on November 25, 2022 and is being republished as part of a content-sharing agreement via smart4bharat.com.)
If a Hindu had targetted a Muslim children’s festival, I can assure you it would be global headlines news for weeks. Petitions would be sent to the UNO. Remember the global outcry when a Muslim boy was slapped 5 times when found loitering in a Hindu temple w/ a clear “only Hindus allowed” sign at the entrance? It was featured on BBC world also. But a Muslim who tried, and almost succeeded to target a Hindu children festival is hardly news even in India.