They are the brothers Wasim and Naeem Ramodiya, both computer scientists. Within "one or two days" they would have hit the famous temple of Chamunda, in Surendranagar district. A military arsenal and Islamic propaganda material found in their apartment.
Ahmedabad (AsiaNews) - Gujarat anti-terrorism agents have arrested two brothers in connection with the Islamic Caliphate who were planning a massacre at a Hindu temple. Police reported that the two Islamic radicals, and Wasim and Naeem Ramodiya, both computer scientists, were ready to hit the temple of Chamunda in Chotila, in Surendranagar district, "in one or two days." If successful, their plan would have caused carnage in one of the busiest temples for Hindu pilgrims in the Indian state, which welcomes thousands of visitors every day.
The arrest took place on the night between 25 and 26 February last. The counterterrorism agency reports that the brothers were under surveillance for at least a year and a half. Investigations reveal the two men were in close contact with an Islamic State figure, who equipped and motivated them to carry out an attack that would have "made the news".
A military arsenal was found in their apartment: 98 bullets, explosives, fuses and devices to activate them, residues of gunpowder. Also they were found eight issues of "Dabik" the magazine of the militants of the Caliphate and their different Islamic propaganda machine.
The Ramodiya brothers are charged with conspiracy to damage India according to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act. Gujarat is one of the Indian states with a larger Muslim population. According to the 2011census data on religions (the latest available poll), the growth in Islamic faithful was more than 24% compared to Hindus, although they continue to comprise the majority of the population.
There have long been bitter tensions between the Muslim and Hindu communities in Gujarat. The most violent incident happened in 2002 with the massacre of at least 1,000 Muslims all over the state, after the Godhra attack on a group of Hindus who traveled aboard the Sabarmati Express train. The attack left 59 dead and sparked retaliation by Hindu fundamentalists. A still burning feud alive is over the destruction of the Babri Masjid (mosque Babar) in 1992 at Ayodhya, which Indian tradition considers the birthplace of Ram (the incarnation of the god Vishnu).