Has Karnataka's crackdown on the Students Islamic Movement of India worked?
Judging by the narco analysis report of Mohammed Asif, the medical student recently arrested in the state, it does seem so.
Based on this report, Intelligence Bureau officials told rediff.com that leaders of the banned SIMI are having second thoughts about making Karnataka their base.
In his narco test, Asif said SIMI leaders had decided to shift their base if the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power.
Asif added that SIMI leaders had taken the decision after analysing the trends and patterns from other states where the BJP was in power.
IB sources say SIMI has already started making inroads into other states because of the crackdown on them and the new state government promising tougher anti-terror laws.
The SIMI had built up a strong base in Karnataka as evidenced by the attack on the Indian Institute of Science -- and its cadres played a crucial role in providing logistical support in carrying out various blasts across the country.
According to the IB, SIMI shifted base to Karnataka after the police forces in their two strong bases, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, initiated a ruthless crackdown. Shifting to another state from Karnataka will be a relatively easier task, as the outfit's bases are relatively new, the sources said.
The IB cautions that although SIMI leaders plan to shift out of Karnataka, they may still try and retain a few of their cadres as sleeper cells in the state.
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