July 04, 2015
News
Ex-Raw chief admits funding Kashmiri militants to counter ISI
Dulat says Vajpayee felt Gujarat riots were a 'mistake'NEW DELHI - Former chief of India’s premier intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), AS Dulat has said Indian intelligence agencies over the years often paid militants and separatists along with mainstream politicians and political parties in Indian-held Kashmir to compete for influence with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
In an interview with NDTV ahead of the launch of his book, ‘Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years’, Dulat asked: “So what’s wrong? What is there to be so shocked or scandalised by. It’s done the world over.” He defended the use of money in Indian-held Kashmir, saying it was done in the hope of engaging militants and separatists. “Corrupting someone with money is more ethical and smarter than killing him.”
Speaking about his controversial memoir, Dulat divulged that the Indian government had on quite a few occasions paid for air fares, medical treatment and general upkeep of pro-Pakistan separatists like Syed Ali Shah Geelani. He said Indian spies had been in touch with everyone, separatists and militants alike.
Dulat also revealed that he had been in touch with one of India’s most wanted men and Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin, who, the ex-RAW chief said, was ready to leave Pakistan and return to India. According to Dulat, Former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee felt that the 2002 Gujarat riots had a bearing on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) defeat in 2004 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress latched on to Dulat’s claims on Gujarat riots as well as his remark that the then National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government “goofed up” in the handling of Kandahar episode. It demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party leadership should apologise.
Dulat wrote that he went to meet Vajpayee after putting in his papers. “The old man looked extremely relaxed. What the hell do I say now? I thought. How do I start this conversation? Finally: Sir, yeh kya hogaya? I asked”. Vajpayee, in his characteristic style, quipped that even the Congress does not know how it managed the victory, Dulat, who was RAW’s chief and later government special adviser on Kashmir, said.
“Then Vajpayee mentioned Gujarat, saying that was a mistake. Perhaps, he felt that was the reason he lost power because he did not stop the 2002 riots,” Dulat writes. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat when the riots took place, and was accused of not taking action against the culprits.
Reminding the BJP that Vajpayee had reminded Modi to follow “raj dharma”, Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said, “Bharat Ratna Vajpayee has clearly condemned the shameful incidents of 2002. Will Narendra Modi respect the words of the Bharat Ratna and apologise to the country for 2002?”
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk