Muslims raze ‘Qaeda-linked’ madrassa in Assam

Members of the Muslim community demolished a madrassa in Assam’s Goalpara on Tuesday. A teacher of the seminary was arrested for alleged links with al-Qaeda and two more were on the run. Authorities allege that some of these have become hubs of jihadi elements owing allegiance to international terrorist groups like al-Qaeda. The Goalpara demolition is the first instance of minority community members demolishing a madrassa. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has asked residents to keep an eye on outsiders who might be terrorists posing as imams in masjids or teachers in madrassas. The police caught nearly 40 people since March who are said to be members of al-Qaeda in Indian Sub-continent/Ansarullah Bangla Team, an offshoot of the terror outfit. Most of them were allegedly posing as imams or madrassa teachers.