Not the first time a Congress relative is arrested in connection with an Islamic State case

The agencies have been saying for long that the radicalisation in the coast has been going on for long. The recent arrests in the Islamic State only show the extent up to which the problem exists

New Delhi, Jan 07: Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh who was arrested in connection with the Shivamogga (Karnataka) Islamic State conspiracy case is the son of a Congress leader.

In January 2021, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested Maryam alias Deepti Marla in connection with an Islamic State case. She is married to Anas Abdul Rahman who is the grandson of later Congress MLA B M Idinabba.

It was revealed in the case of Reshaan that he is the son of Thajuddin Sheikh, a Congress leader and general secretary of the Brahmavar Block Congress in Udupi.

The arrest of Deepti Marla and now Reshaan from the coastal belt of the state reveal the modus-operandi and the extent of radicalisation that has been taking place.

An official tells OneIndia that the developments are worrying and some of these persons have used their political clout to stay off the radar and carry on with their activities.

The Mangaluru cooker bomb blast case once again puts the focus back on the coast and the extent of radicalisation.

Coastal Karnataka has been witnessing violent incidents for long. The most recent one was the protest against the Citizenship Act. Moreover in the coast one has got to witness the murders of Hindu activists galore.

A sustained campaign:

While the radicalisation of the coast is nothing new, these political connections is what is worrying the agencies. The official cited above said that such persons have used their political clout to stay low and they have used the communally charged situation in the region to further their activities. The above two mentioned incidents suggest that the situation has gone beyond just polarisation.

The other worry is that such elements have used all tools at their disposal. The rise of the Popular Front of India and its spread into coastal Karnataka has only worsened the problem. In the coast, the radical Islamist are trying to implement the Kerala model.
Take the case of Maryam, she was involved in honey trapping several youth while also trying to lure them into joining the Islamic State.

Over the years, the Coast has witnessed campaigns, violence in a bid to further the agenda of radical Islamist. Take the case of Mohammad Shariq, the Mangaluru bomber. His activities had come to light two years back when he along with his associates went on a campaign that threatened Hindus by saying that they would invite the Taliban or Lashkar-e-Tayiba to deal with the Sanghis.

BJP reacts:

Following the arrest of Reshaan, BJP MLA, Raghupati Bhat said that there is worrisome information in the investigation. There should be a proper probe in the coastal region and these kinds of activities are going on for long. We had even emphasised this following the hijab protest, he said.

He also said that the Congress should take onus of it. Now the Congress has to give answers since Tajuddin's son has been arrested in connection with terror activities.

On Thursday, the National Investigation Agency conducted raids at several locations in South India and arrested several persons in connection with the Shivamogga Islamic State conspiracy case.