Jantar Mantar may be a template for future |
Punjab and West Bengal police busted multiple cross-border terrorist modules which were planning to target the Cockroach Janata Party protests in Delhi last month. These were linked to Pakistan’s Jaish-e-Mohamad and their ISI. Their plans included infiltrating the protests, causing mayhem by using petrol bombs and random firing, resulting in casualties, leading to anger across the nation, with the government being blamed. They failed because of a large police presence.
Was Pakistan seeking to just exploit the protests or was it part of a larger conspiracy by those sponsoring the protests is unknown? The fact that inputs flowed from the Punjab Police, a state controlled by AAP, has rele vance . The sidestepping of the Punjab IG, who broke the news, gives it further credence. Had these inputs flowed from West Bengal, it would have been termed as government propaganda. Senior Delhi Police officials had warned organizers of the protest that criminal elements had infiltrated the crowd and that the massive gathering risked spinning out of control, but it was ignored.
This is just what happened. Casualties in Delhi could have enhanced violence across the country, making it difficult to contain. Whether the organizers were aware that violence was planned as part of the protests is unknown. The infusion of anti-social elements was also highlighted by the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, who informed the Supreme Court that while the government would withdraw cases against student protestors, it would not do so for 2,738 persons facing charges such as ‘murder, rape, kidnapping and offences under the POCSO Act,’ who had infiltrated the protests to cause mayhem. These individuals were identified through surveillance networks.
There is no doubt that the protest was funded by inimical groups. To maintain the site, ensure unlimited food for all participants while inviting anti-government activists to the dais by sponsoring their airfare and stay, funds are........