Independent Kashmir legislator Er Rashid on Wednesday claimed that Indian army was making a video of a fake operation in Leepa valley in frontier district of Kupwara to present it as evidence of its claimed surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC).Addressing media persons at a local hotel here, he said: “The very credible sources confirm that Indian army is engaged in filming videos in Nowgam and Leepa sectors, adjacent to borders showing as if army is carrying out covert operations in enemy’s territory, so that the same can be provided as evidence to satisfy Indian masses and world community.”He said that all the chest-thumping by the BJP in claiming the ‘surgical strikes’ is being done to promote Home Minister Rajnath Singh as its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh, which is going to polls next year.“The issue of surgical strikes needs to be understood in light of Times of India story published in June this year, revealing that BJP will declare Rajnath Singh as its candidate for U.P CM, but before doing so, Rajnath Singh may claim to have carried out some big military operation in Kashmir, in order to gain sympathy among UP voters,” he said.
Rashid cautioned the army not to fall prey to BJP’s tactics and escalate tension at the borders.“Unfortunately army and police have been staging managed dramas in the past from Pathribal to Machil and claims of surgical strikes and that of apprehending a Pakistani militant Bahadur Ali are the recent additions to these staged dramas. Any credible investigating agency or journalist can visit the Yehama village in Kupwara district where from Bahadur Ali was apprehended and find that how sensational and dramatic was the operation of apprehending Bahadur Ali,” he added.“Bahadur Ali had been seen moving freely on a bike for three to four days before being apprehended and it is interesting that he was arrested by just two policemen, who had travelled a distance of 3Kms from the nearest police station for the job and brought him in a private vehicle to nearest police station at Qalamabad. Had he been a dreaded militant it would have been impossible to arrest him with the help of just two policemen. Ironically, next day army and task force went and photographed the area and informed locals that they had captured a Pakistani militant,” he said.“Six days later, national media started claiming about Bahadur Ali’s arrest, plans and connections,” he said.“First when Indian politicians praised Indian army over surgical strikes and now when they are raising questions about the same, it is obvious that they are more interested in getting political mileage over each other, rather caring about real story,” he said.“The intelligence agencies on the other hand want to divert attention from mass uprising in Kashmir but need to realize that even if Kashmiris call off strike, things will not change unless the dispute is not resolved,” he added. (CNS)