GUWAHATI, Oct 22 � Expressing concern over growing jehadi activities in the State, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that there was a need to strike at the root of such fundamentalist ideology.
�We are keeping a close watch on suspected jehadi elements and also acting tough when we have the evidence. But this is a much wider phenomenon cutting across nations, and a concerted and sustained effort is needed to strike at the root of the problem,� Gogoi said at a press conference.
Gogoi said that although there was no direct evidence of the dreaded Al Qaeda operating in the region, there was nevertheless an urgent need for greater vigilance given that fundamentalist elements shared the same ideology of hatred and bloodshed.
�It is very likely that JMB and Al Qaeda have some link, and moreover, the Al Qaeda had recently mentioned Assam as one of its targeted areas recently,� he said.
The Chief Minister also termed as �unfortunate� the claim by a few AIUDF MLAs that the persons arrested for their alleged jehadi link were not JMB members.
�It�s unfortunate...We do not lay our hands on anyone without evidence even when we know that the person has suspected links. The jehadi threat is real, and all of us should join hands to counter it. We are not going to spare anyone with jehadi links � be it Muslims, Hindus or Christians,� he said.
