NewDelhi: Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), may target Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state – Gujarat – ahead of crucial assembly elections scheduled to be held in December this year.
According to media reports, the Indian intelligence agencies fear that Pakistan’s ISI may help terror outfits operating from its soil to carry out 26/11-like attacks in Gujarat ahead of elections in the BJP-ruled state.
What further worries the Indian intelligence officials is the fact that the unique identification devices and documents seized by the Pakistani Coastguard officials earlier this month from four Indian fishing boats may be misused by the attackers.
The agencies suspect that the Pakistan-backed terrorists may try to enter Gujarat through the sea route and target poll rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other top BJP leaders ahead of the polls.
Four Indian boats were caught by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (coastguard) officials earlier this week. The boats were fishing in deep sea and were close to the boundary with Pakistan when they intercepted by the latter’s troops.
The Pakistani Coastguard officials also snatched their unique identification devices (UIDs) and identity cards.
The Indian intelligence officials fear that the UIDs seized from the Indian fishermen could be used by the terrorists which would give them an Indian identity and help them to sneak into the Indian waters without being detected by the Indian Coastguard.
Maritime agencies of both countries frequently detain each other’s boats for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea border near Sir Creek is not clearly defined and many vessels lack the technology to fix their precise location.
On several occasions in past, the Pakistani officials had apprehended Indian fishing boats near the international boundary but rarely snatched the UIDs and identity cards of fishermen out in the sea.
However, in this case, the Pakistani Coastguard officials did not impound the Indian fishing boats and allowed to the fishermen to go after seizing their cards and registration papers.
The security agencies have been asked to be on maximum alert and patrolling along the Gujarat sea coast has been stepped up.
In view of the development, the intelligence agencies have sounded an alert in the maritime area around the Gujarat coast.
The Indian side is also likely to take up the matter of the seizure with the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA).
Since the beginning of this year, more than 400 fishermen with over 70 boats have been apprehended by Pakistan near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
On October 25, the Gujarat ATS had arrested two suspected ISIS terrorists from Surat.
They were allegedly planning to execute a terror plot in Ahmedabad during the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections, reported.
Assembly elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.
Importantly, PM Modi, a native of Gujarat, is slated to extensively travel and hold dozens of campaign for BJP in almost every part of the state.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath – one of the stars campaigners of the ruling BJP – is also set to address a number of rallies there including some in coastal areas such as Dwarka.
Bureau Report
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