It has been claimed that Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar's speech was delivered in Pakistan. It is being said that he gave a speech against India and PM Narendra Modi among his supporters in a mosque in Bahawalpur. Babri Masjid was also mentioned.
When the media asked questions about this on Friday, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said-
Pakistan always says that Azhar is not in its country. Azhar's speech in such a situation exposes Pakistan's hypocrisy.
Jaiswal said Azhar was the mastermind of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack and was declared a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council. We demand that strict action be taken against him and justice be given to him.
According to media reports, Azhar gave a speech in Turkey in 1924 to mark 100 years of the end of the Caliphate. The speech was released on Jaish's digital platform on December 3. In which Masood has said things against India, PM Modi and Israeli PM Netanyahu.
This picture is from the year 2000 when Masood Azhar addressed a rally in Karachi. (Credit-AFP)
Azhar said in his speech-
I am ashamed that a weak man like Modi challenges us or a 'rat' like Netanyahu dances on our grave… Tell me, there are not even 300 people who can fight to get my Babri back?
Azhar appealed to Jaish-e-Mohammed cadres to launch a renewed jihadi campaign against India and Israel and establish the rule of Islam in the world. He shouted several times during the speech, 'Bharat, your death is coming.'
Jaish-e-Mohammed did not say on which date and where Azhar gave his speech.
Gave a speech in the madrasa An Indian intelligence official told The Print that Masood Azhar's speech probably took place late last month at the 1,000-acre Umm-ul-Qura madrasa and mosque complex outside Bahawalpur in Pakistan.
This is the same place that the Pakistani government claimed to have captured in 2019, but according to local residents, it is still under the control of Jaish-e-Mohammed and armed guards are deployed for security. In 2022, Pakistan's then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto said that Azhar had fled to Afghanistan.
Apart from the Parliament attack, Azhar is the mastermind of the Pathankot-Pulwama attack Azhar is responsible for not one but many terror attacks in India. Apart from Parliament attack, Masood is also the mastermind of Pathankot attack in 2016. According to the Delhi Police's chargesheet in the case, Masood used Jaish-e-Mohammed cadres to carry out attacks on India. He also attacked Ramjanmabhoomi in Ayodhya in 2005 and CRPF personnel in Pulwama in 2019.
Apart from this, Masood is also responsible for the 2016 Uri attack and the attack on the Indian Consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan. Azhar was close to al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and Taliban founder Mullah Omar.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
