New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The Indian agencies have raised an alarm over the amount of propaganda content that has been doing the rounds regarding Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar.
Though Azhar has stayed away from public glare post-Operation Sindoor, rumours have gained ground over his failing health. The Indian agencies have learnt that he is very unwell and the ISI has kept him away from public gaze. The concern over his security and the fear of possible elimination are other reasons, for the ISI to keep him away from the media eye.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that while Azhar may remain underground, his speeches and radical ideology continue to attract youth.
When compared to the likes of Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, the respective chiefs of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, Azhar draws a bigger audience. He is much more radical and his speeches are far more fiery when compared to the rest of the terror chiefs, the official said.
Post Operation Sindoor, there were questions that was being asked by the cadres and also newer recruits about Azhar. For a brief time, the ISI and JeM put out audio and video clips of Azhar and passed them off as new ones.
An official said that both the ISI and Jaish-e-Mohammad realised that many had raised suspicion over the clips that were being circulated. They quickly changed their strategy and gradually began telling the cadres and new recruits the truth about Azhar and why he remains underground.
As part of their new strategy, the JeM has started telling possible recruits that they must work in the name of Azhar. They are also made to listen to his speeches over and over again. The official said that this strategy is working for now and the people are completely radicalised by Azhar’s ideology. In fact, the ISI has also used sympathy as a tool to bring in the new cadres.
During Operation Sindoor, Azhar lost a big part of his family. They included his brother, sister, son and also grandchildren. Azhar was also heart-broken that in addition to his family, the Jaish-e-Mohammad lost a large number of its cadre.
The Jaish-e-Mohammad is using this to their advantage. They are trying to gain the sympathy of the recruits and are being told the kind of ‘sacrifice’ which Azhar has made. The recruits also are told why they should join the Jaish-e-Mohammad and fight in the name of Azhar and the importance of taking revenge for the losses that the Jaish-e-Mohammad had to bear, an official said.
Another official said that both in India as well as Pakistan, the Jaish-e-Mohammad has begun flooding content relating to Masood Azhar. His speeches, his thoughts and radical content that he has penned are in circulation. They are being used to recruit and radicalise the youth. The official said that even when it comes to operations in India, similar content is being used. Handlers are passing on this content to modules in India and are asking the members to circulate such content in large numbers.
The Indian agencies have found that members of these modules which are inspired by the Jaish-e-Mohammad and its leader Masood Azhar are ready to carry out strikes in the name of the name of the terror group and its boss.
For ISI, this strategy works. It not only manages to keep Azhar in the narrative but also ensures that in case of an attack, the trail does not go back to Pakistan.
All these modules have been instructed to operate not as the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit. They are told to operate in the name of the terror group so that the Pakistan link does not crop up, an official added.
–vn/mr
