Latest news with #Mujahideens
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Patel's 1947 advice to reclaim PoK ignored: PM's Nehru jab
Terrorism is not a proxy war but Pakistan's war strategy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he launched a veiled attack at Jawaharlal Nehru, criticising the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and alleging that Vallabhbhai Patel's desire to reclaim Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir was not honoured. On the second day of his two-day trip to Gujarat, Modi said India had resolved to remove the 'thorn' of terrorism, underlined that Operation Sindoor was done in a way that no one could ask for proof, pledged to make India the world's third-largest economy, and pushed for more local products. 'We can not call this a proxy war, as those who were killed after May 6 were given state honours in Pakistan. Pakistani flags were draped over their coffins, and their military saluted them. This proves that these terrorist activities are not just a proxy war, this is a deliberate war strategy on their part,' the PM said in Gandhinagar. 'If they are engaging in war, then the response will be accordingly,' he added. Modi linked the cross-border strikes with decades of unresolved aggression from across the border. He referred to India's Partition and said the first terrorist attack happened in Kashmir, and a part of the country's land was taken as a result of this action. 'During Partition, Maa Bharati (Mother India) was divided, and that very night, the first terror attack on Kashmir was launched by Mujahideens,' Modi said, adding that with the help of these terrorists, Pakistan captured a 'part of Mother India'. '(Then Union home minister) Sardar Patel was of the opinion that the Indian army should not have stopped until Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) was reclaimed. However, Patel's advice was not heeded. They (Pakistan and terrorists backed by it) tasted blood,' he said, taking a veiled swipe at India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. 'This legacy of terrorism has continued for the last 75 years and the terror attacks in Pahalgam was another horrific form of it. Despite playing diplomatic games, Pakistan repeatedly faced India's military strength in war. On three occasions, India's armed forces decisively defeated Pakistan, making it clear that Pakistan could not triumph in a direct military conflict with India,' Modi said. The PM also attacked the 1960 Indus treaty. 'The Indus Water Treaty was signed in 1960. If you go into its details, you will be shocked. It was decided that the dams built on other rivers of Jammu and Kashmir will not be cleaned. De-silting will not be done. The gates downstream for cleaning will not be opened. These gates were not opened for 60 years and the water that should have been 100% filled, gradually its capacity reduced to 2%-3%. Don't my countrymen have a right to water? Should they not get their rightful share of water?' he asked. 'I haven't done much yet. Right now I have said that I have kept it in abeyance. Even this is making them feel the heat,' he added. He was referring to India's decision on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack, to hold the 1960 pact in abeyance, expel most Pakistani nationals, and reduce diplomatic presence in the neighbouring country. Modi called the May 7 strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK a turning point and retaliation to a planned war against India. Modi, whose arrival in Gujarat on Monday coincided with the 11th anniversary of his taking office as prime minister, said the armed forces identified nine terror locations after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, and destroyed them in 22 minutes. 'And this time everything was done in front of the camera, all the arrangements were made. So that no one asks for proof on our side. Now we do not have to give proof, those on the other side are giving it,' he said. Modi said the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people, was an inhuman part of long-standing cross-border hostility. He said the country had tolerated such attacks for 75 years. 'But no more…Whenever there was a war, the Indian armed forces made them bite the dust. Pakistan realised that they cannot win, hence they started supporting terrorism.' He said India always stood for peace and upheld the ancient philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, that the world is one family. 'We want everyone, including our neighbours, to live in peace,' he said. 'But when we are provoked, they must remember that this land also belongs to the brave.' He said India's approach has always been rooted in development and cooperation. 'We were working for the good of all. We even helped them in times of trouble. And in return, we got rivers of blood,' he said. Modi said India's economy was ranked 11th in the world when he took over in 2014. 'Despite fighting Covid and multiple natural challenges, we are now the fourth largest economy,' he said. Modi highlighted India's economic journey, noting it overtook the United Kingdom, which ruled India for 250 years. He said the country was now impatient to become the world's third-largest economy. 'Nobody is ready to wait…if someone asks to wait, there is a loud shout from behind saying Modi hai to Mumkin hai (it is possible if Modi is there).' He said urban areas should be transformed into centres of economic growth to have a developed India by 2047, and added that a roadmap for it is to be made now. 'Gujarat will have to now set goals for its all-round development in 2035, when it celebrates 75 years of statehood… One year later, it should be ready for the Olympics. People of the country want the Olympics to be held in India,' he said. Stressing the need to focus on tier-2 and tier-3 cities to make India the third largest economy, Modi urged citizens to turn Operation Sindoor into a people's movement. People should say no to imported products and purchase only locally-made items to strengthen the economy, he said. 'Though Operation Sindoor started as a military operation, it will now turn into a people's Sindoor is not just the responsibility of the soldiers but of 140 crore citizens,' said Modi. 'Let us decide that in 2047, when India will be celebrating its 100th year of independence, to make India developed and to take its economy from number 4 to 3, we will not use any foreign product. We should make traders take an oath in every village that no matter how much profit they make, they will not sell foreign products,' he said. 'Without knowing, we are using products which are imported, like Lord Ganesha idols. We must start using only Made in India products to make India a developed country. Shopkeepers should vow that they will not sell imported products. It's time to be vocal for local,' he said. Operation Sindoor was India's direct military response to the April 22 terror strike at Pahalgam in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians in what was the worst attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai strikes. India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, bombing nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The pre-dawn strikes --- which killed at least 100 terrorists --- sparked a series of attacks and counter attacks across the western border, involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and fierce artillery and rocket duels. In one such counterattack on the night of May 9-10, the air force struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. After four days of fighting, military hostilities were stopped on May 10 as the two nations reached an understanding.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Indus Waters Treaty 'badly negotiated', says PM Modi in Gujarat; suspension making Pak 'feel the heat'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 were 'badly negotiated." Speaking at an event celebrating 20 years of Gujarat Urban Growth Story in Gandhinagar, the prime minister added that the suspension of the water treaty has Pakistan 'feeling the heat." 'In the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, it was decided that the desilting of dams on J&K rivers wouldn't be done. The gates didn't open for 60 years… I have not done much yet. We have just put it on abeyance, but they are already sweating," said Modi. The prime minister also recalled the partition of 1947 between India and Pakistan and stated that former Home Minister Sardar Vallahbhai Patel wanted the Indian Army to take over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "If we had killed these Mujahideens; if we had listened to Sardar Patel, he wanted the Army to not stop until we get back PoK... For 75 years, we suffered, and what happened in Pahalgam was a distorted form of that attack. The Indian Army has defeated Pakistan every time. Pakistan understood that it cannot win from India,' Modi said. The prime minister also referred to Operation Sindoor and stated that the Indian strikes were done infront of the cameras so that no one would be able to ask for proof. "The reason is that when nine terrorist hideouts were identified and destroyed within just 22 minutes, it was a decisive action. And this time, everything was done in front of the cameras, so that no one back home would ask for proof," said Modi.
Mint
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
PM Modi blames partition for Pahalgam attack: ‘We should have listened to Sardar Patel'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 May blamed the 1947 decision of Partition for Pahalgam terror attack, that killed 26 people, mostly tourists in Kashmir last month. 'When the Partition happened in 1947, the chains should have been cut at that time, but instead, the country was divided into three parts. Soon after, the first terrorist attack was reported in Kashmir, and Pakistan occupied one part of Kashmir," PM Modi said addressing a gathering during the 20 years of Gujarat Urban Growth Story in Gujarat's Gandhinagar on Tuesday. 'If we had killed these Mujahideens; if we had listened to Sardar Patel, he wanted the Army to not stop until we get back PoK,' Modi said. For 75 years, we suffered, and what happened in Pahalgam was a distorted form of that attack, Modi said. "The Indian Army has defeated Pakistan every time. Pakistan understood that it cannot win from India,' he said. Two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack, India on 7 May conducted precision strikes on at least nine terror camps in Pakistan in what is now known as 'Operation Sindoor.' India and Pakistan indulged in four days of military action post Operation Sindoor. The two nations agreed on an understanding to halt military action on 10 May. Earlier, Prime Mininster Narendra Modi inaugurated and lays the foundation stone of various development projects worth ₹ 5,536 crore at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. Tuesday was his second day of Gujarat trip. PM Modi said whenever India and Pakistan went to war, our Indian Armed Forces—our bravehearts—defeated them in a way they would never forget. Realising they could never win a direct war against India, they turned to proxy warfare, providing military training and support to terrorists instead, he said. The Prime Minister said that Pakistan's support for terrorism cannot be called a proxy war as those who were killed after May 6 were given state honors. Pakistani flags were draped over their coffins, and their military saluted them, he said. 'It proves that terrorist activities are not a proxy war but a well-planned war strategy. You are already at war, and you will receive the response accordingly. We do not seek enmity with anyone. We want to live peacefully. We also want to progress so that we can contribute to the welfare of the world,' Modi said. Modi recalled how Indian economy was at 11th place in the world when he took oath as PM for the first time in 2014. 'Today, we are the world's fourth-largest economy. I remember we celebrated moving from sixth to fifth place — a moment that was especially significant because we surpassed the very nation that ruled over us for 250 years,' he said. Now, as we rise to fourth place, there's growing pressure — and even more determination — to become the third-largest economy, he said. 'This country no longer wants to wait. And if anyone suggests we should be patient, you can hear voices in the background saying, 'Modi hai to mumkin hai'. That is why our clear target is to make India a developed nation by 2047,' the Prime Minister said.
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First Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Terror Pak's war strategy, we won't call it proxy: PM Modi refines India's policy of deterrence
During a rally in Gujarat, PM Modi accused Pakistan of using terrorism as a war strategy, not just a proxy war. He cited 'Operation Sindoor', where India destroyed terror camps in 22 minutes, as proof. Modi said India's response will match the scale of the threat read more Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Pakistan on Monday for cross-border terrorism, saying India cannot remain mute while the country's security is threatened by a proxy war by a neighbouring country. PM Modi stated during a public gathering in Gandhinagar during his two-day trip to Gujarat, 'We want to stay in peace, and let others live in peace. But when our strength is challenged through proxy war, we can't stay silent.' 'Earlier, we used to call it a proxy war. However, after the scenes we witnessed after May 6, we no more call it a proxy war," the Prime Minister said, adding, 'This is because we destroyed multiple of their terror camps in just 22 minutes." STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD '…It was a decisive action. And this time, everything was done in front of the cameras, so that no one back home would ask for proof," PM Modi said. 'The funerals of terrorists in Pakistan were conducted with state honours, their coffins were wrapped in Pakistani flags, while the country's army gave them a salute." 'This proves that terrorism is not a proxy war, but a war strategy by Pakistan. We will answer accordingly," he said. 'During India's partition in 1947, the country was divided into three parts. Soon after, the first terrorist attack was reported in Kashmir, and Pakistan occupied one part of Kashmir. Had we killed these Mujahideens, if we had listened to Sardar Patel, he wanted the Army to not stop until we get back PoK… For 75 years, we suffered, and what happened in Pahalgam was a distorted form of that attack." 'The Indian Army has defeated Pakistan every time. Pakistan understood that it cannot win from India," the PM said. India, on the intervening night of May 7 and 8, launched 'Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan and destroyed multiple terror targets there. More than 100 militants seeking refuge in Pakistan were also slain in the operation. This happened after Pakistan carried out a terrorist strike in Kashmir's popular Pahalgam on April 22, killing 26 innocent visitors. Survivors later said that the terrorists had interrogated them about their beliefs and killed those who answered they were not Muslims. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The attackers also demanded that the visitors repeat a 'Kalma' (an Islamic word) to establish that they were not Muslims before killing them point blank.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
From 'jihad' to 'resistance': How Pakistan based terror groups are changing their names to mask their dirty origins
In the winter of 2023, four soldiers lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. An unfamiliar entity, the People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), claimed responsibility. Months later, another attack in Gulmarg resulted in four more deaths, including two soldiers from the Rashtriya Rifles, with PAFF again taking credit. Similarly, in the summer of 2020, a fierce gunbattle erupted in Keran, leading to multiple casualties on both sides. The perpetrators identified themselves as members of The Resistance Front (TRF). These groups, previously unheard of, quickly drew the attention of Indian security agencies. Investigations revealed that PAFF and TRF were not new entities but rebranded versions of the notorious Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), respectively. This rebranding was a calculated move to mask their jihadist roots and present a façade of indigenous resistance. Strategic rebranding: A response to changing political landscapes The abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status, significantly altered the region's political dynamics. In response, militant groups sought to adapt by rebranding themselves. The adoption of secular-sounding names like PAFF and TRF was a strategic effort to align with global narratives of resistance and self-determination, thereby garnering sympathy and support from international human rights organizations and avoiding the stigma associated with Islamist extremism. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo As told to TOI reporter Raj Shekhar Jha, a senior intelligence officer noted, "By adopting monikers, both groups aimed at creating confusion among the people so that their support on the ground remained intact. This tactic, they assumed, would allow their new Mujahideens to maintain a low profile and help Pakistan avoid sanctions, and continue their nefarious activities without arousing suspicion." Also Read: Pahalgam terror attack: The Resistance Front, a proxy for Hafiz Saeed's LeT, hits headlines with Kashmir bloodbath Live Events Exploiting global narratives: The shift to secular terminology The rebranding of these groups was not merely cosmetic but a deliberate attempt to exploit global narratives. By adopting terms like "resistance" and "anti-fascist," these groups aimed to resonate with international audiences and reframe their activities as legitimate struggles against oppression. This shift allowed them to distance themselves from their Islamist origins and present themselves as secular movements fighting for self-determination. As per a Reuters report, Ajai Sahni, head of the South Asia Terrorism Portal, explained, "This is basically a front of the LeT. These are groups which have been created over the last years, particularly when Pakistan was under pressure from the Financial Action Task Force and they were trying to create ... ." Operational continuity under new guises Despite the change in nomenclature, the operational tactics of these groups remained consistent with their predecessors. TRF and PAFF continued to engage in attacks against security forces and civilians, recruit militants, and smuggle weapons and narcotics across borders. Their activities were coordinated and sanctioned by their parent organizations, LeT and JeM, respectively. In January 2023, India's Ministry of Home Affairs declared TRF a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, citing its involvement in various terrorist activities, including recruitment, infiltration, and smuggling of weapons and narc ... from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, PAFF was designated a terrorist organization for its role in radicalizing youth, attacking Indian forces, and participating in violent terrorist acts. TRF's link to the Pahalgam terror attack he Resistance Front (TRF) first surfaced in October 2019, months after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked. Security officials believe TRF operates as a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), established to give a native appearance to cross-border terrorism. TRF has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks since then, with its propaganda materials frequently circulated on encrypted channels. In April 2024, the Resistance Front (TRF) emerged as the primary suspect in the Pahalgam terror attack , which resulted in the deaths of security personnel and civilians, including a tourist guide. The attack, carried out using automatic rifles and grenades in a busy tourist district, was marked by the same tactics previously used by LeT operatives. Security forces traced digital communication and intercepted messages pointing to TRF's involvement, reinforcing the belief that the group continues to function as a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba. The attack prompted renewed concerns about the role of rebranded militant outfits in targeting soft civilian and economic infrastructure, particularly in areas vital to Kashmir's tourism sector. The rebranding of militant groups in Kashmir underscores the evolving nature of insurgency in the region. By adopting secular-sounding names and aligning with global narratives, these groups aim to legitimize their activities and evade international scrutiny. This strategic shift presents new challenges for counter-terrorism efforts, requiring a nuanced understanding of the interplay between local insurgencies and global perceptions. As these groups continue to adapt and evolve, it becomes imperative for security agencies and policymakers to remain vigilant and develop strategies that address both the overt actions and the underlying narratives that sustain such movements.
