Kerala road named 'Gaza street', comes under intelligence agencies' radar

The 'Gaza street', which is adjacent to the Thuruthi Jama Masjid, was inaugurated by district panchayat president AGC Basheer Intelligence agencies are looking at possible radical influence behind the road's naming and potential links to terrorist outfits Though municipality funds were used to concrete the road, authorities in Thuruthi claim they were clueless about the renaming A major reason for the agencies to be interested in the road is its proximity to Padanna, from where 21 youths went missing

A move by some Kasaragod natives to rename a renovated road in their locality as 'Gaza street' has caught the attention of top intelligence agencies in the country.

Both intelligence agencies and the state police are now looking at possible radical influence behind the road's naming and potential links to terrorist outfits. Though municipality funds were used to concrete the road, authorities in Thuruthi claim they were clueless about the renaming, according to a Times of India report.

Gaza or the Gaza Strip is a disputed swathe of land on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which borders Israel and Egypt, and self-governed by Palestine.

A major reason for intelligence and police to be interested in the road is the locality's proximity to Padanna, from where majority of the 21 Keralite youths went missing last year and were suspected to have joined the Islamic State in Afghanistan.

The 'Gaza street', which is adjacent to the Thuruthi Juma Masjid, was inaugurated by district panchayat president AGC Basheer. However, he has now distanced himself from the controversy, saying his presence at the function was only a coincidence as he was a late substitute for the chief guest.

Local BJP leaders alleged that there have been conscious attempts to change the names of different streets and roads in Kasaragod.