Protests demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution have been ongoing for a long time. However, on Wednesday, this peaceful protest suddenly turned violent. Protestors attacked and set fire to a BJP office. Amidst this violence in Leh, India's intelligence agencies claim that the Harkat-ul-Jihadi-Islami (HuJI) group, active in Bangladesh, is once again attempting to establish a foothold in India.
According to inputs received by Indian security officials, HuJI is once again attempting to establish its modules on the Indian border. While HuJI was largely controlled during Sheikh Hasina's rule in Bangladesh, it is now increasing its activities once more under the interim government following her departure from power. It is worth noting that HuJI was originally established in Pakistan and aimed to collaborate with the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organisation to carry out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and spread unrest.
However, amidst the rapid growth of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Kashmir, the ISI gradually shifted HuJI's activities to Bangladesh, targeting West Bengal and the northeastern states of India. HuJI managed to establish several cells in Northeast India and West Bengal, but the organisation was subdued in recent years due to stringent security and surveillance by Indian agencies.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Bangladesh, the Sheikh Hasina government had kept this group under control. However, following the appointment of Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Muhammad Yunus as caretaker of the interim government, several extremist groups, including HuJI, have become active again. Intelligence reports now indicate their movement towards India. Intelligence Bureau officials state that at least six meetings have taken place between ISI and HuJI leaders in the last three months. The aim of these meetings is to revive the organisation's activities and establish further cells near the Indian border.
