According to the investigators, one of the youths suspected of providing technical and logistical support to the Easter Sunday bombers was under the surveillance of Indian Intelligence agencies three years ago for links with the Islamic State suspects. Security agencies believe that 24-year old Aadhil Ameez was the link between two terror outfits that carried out attacks on the church and hotels in which 250 people lost their lives and hundreds of others were injured.
Now it has emerged that one conscious social media user had noticed how Aadhil Ameez had mocked Hindus with cow worshipping jibe and hailed the Pulwama attack on one of the posts condemning the attack on Facebook. Responding to a Facebook post about the Pulwama attack, Aadhil Ameez had posted, ‘Kaafir, your cow worshipping Jawans are in hell’. The user who goes by Twitter handle @TheAngryLord had then reported his terrorist mindset to the authorities and asked to take stern action against him.
https://twitter.com/TheAngryLord/status/1097190347346563074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
After seeing this port, the Twitter user drew the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan police’s attention towards the mocking and abusing of the martyrdom of CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the Pulwama attack.
Apparently, no serious action was initiated against him, who is now accused of being a key link between 2 terror outfits responsible for carrying out the ghastly Easter Sunday attack in Sri Lanka. Aadhil had been on India’s monitoring list since 2016 and named in two charge sheets filed in Indian courts against suspected Islamic State operatives as being one of their contacts.
In the aftermath of the Pulwama attack, many complaints of individuals celebrating the attacks or posting approbatory posts on social media came to the fore. Various institutions, public dignitaries and government agencies faced flak from the usual suspects for taking a tough stand against those who were found celebrating the dastardly attack on the paramilitary forces.
Concerted attempts were made by these usual suspects to paint the aggressors as victims by indulging in rumour-mongering and thus discouraging the agencies from taking action against them. JNU freelance protestor Shehla Rashid spread a rumour that 15-20 students were stuck in the hostel and a mob was unleashed against them. Dehradun police had then filed an FIR against her.
One of the pertinent points here to be noticed is Aadhil Ameez’s choice of words to mock the Indian Bravehearts. He specifically used ‘Cow worshipping’ jibe to spew his vitriol against Hindus. The same language was used by the Pulwama terrorist, Adil Ahmed Dar in his video justifying his attack on the ‘cow worshippers’ and ‘Gaumutra’ drinkers. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who is known for peddling fake news and malicious propaganda is often found on Twitter mocking Hindus with ‘Gaumutra’ barbs.
Several people on social media have observed that with multiple terrorists using the cow worship and Gaumutra jibe against Hindus, perhaps security agencies should keep a close eye on those people who use this reference to mock Hindus, as they can be potential terrorists.
https://twitter.com/prasannavishy/status/1128304241083215872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/divya_16_/status/1128274080006754305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The above incident shows that the governments in the world should no longer consider the online mockery of the deaths of the victims and the exultation expressed after a terror attack as flippant and innocuous. Those who gloat on the terror attacks and direct their hatred against a particular community with specific jibes should be put under surveillance and their activities should be monitored so that they are nipped in the bud before they execute their nefarious terror designs.
Now with multiple terrorists using the Gaumutra jibe against Hindus, perhaps security agencies should keep a close eye on those people who use this reference to mock Hindus, as they can be potential terrorists.
The governments across the world should also adapt to the evolving demands posed by the new-age terror networks. Online surveillance and grievance mechanism should be made more robust so that their macabre behavioural pattern suggesting solidarity for terror activities can be spotted and relevant course of action be taken against them in advance.