The Uttar Pradesh government under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has decided to establish a unit of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in Saharan’s Deoband town, which is home to Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, reports Indian Express.
UP state media advisor Shalabh Mani Tripathi said over half a dozen ATS officers have been selected from across the state and would be deputed in the Deoband unit. Tripathi was blunt when he said that this decision was “causing pain” to “those protecting terrorists”.
The State Government has even acquired around 2,000 square metres of land which will serve as a command centre. Apart from this unit in Deoband, several such ATS units are planned by the State Government, besides the existing ATS centre in the capital city of Lucknow.
UP ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that land has been acquired in other locations, including in Meerut, along the Indo-Nepal border, Bahraich, Shravasti and also at the upcoming Jewar airport, among other places.
He added, “Deoband is on the Uttaranchal and Haryana border and it is an important place to help us increase our depth, presence and operation efficiency in western parts of the state.”
It must be noted that UP will be heading for assembly elections in 2022 and the Taliban also follows the Deobandi school of thought.
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