Do you remember Aamir
Khan-starrer action drama Sarfarosh released in 1999? Written, produced and
directed by John Matthew Matthan, Sarfarosh was a work of fiction based on
facts. The film was critically and commercially successful as it was an honest
and courageous look at some of the real reasons behind terrorism and insurgency
in our land. And hence it was one of the memorable Bollywood movies. The
movie’s USP was its direct commentary on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The
movie showed how Gulfam Hassan, played by Naseeruddin Shah, comes to India as a
Pakistani ghazal singer and acts as a spy and a key informer and how with his
help some of the disgruntled elements in India receive supply of arms and
ammunition from Pakistan’s intelligence outfit, ISI.
There was also
pointed commentary on Gulfam Hassan’s ties with those in the government and in
the administrative system in India and how it was being misused by the ISI. The
reason to be reminded of Sarfarosh’s Gulfam Hassan is the accusation levelled
by Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza against former Vice President of India
Mohammad Hamid Ansari. Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza, in his recent
interview, stated that he was invited to India nearly five times between 2005
and 2012 by former Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari. He had also informed
that the confidential information provided by Ansari was passed on by him to
the ISI.
It may be recalled
that the then ruling Congress party was instrumental and keen on making
Mohammad Hamid Ansari the Vice President of India. During that time, i.e
between 2004 and 2014, terrorism was rampant in the country. Bomb blasts and
terrorist attacks were a normal phenomenon when Dr. Manmohan Singh-led
government was in power in the Centre. Since everyone is aware about how a
handful of Pakistani terrorists rampaged over the country’s financial capital
on November 26, 2008, I will not repeat its details.
What is crucial and
needs attention is how the Pakistani agencies secretly operate in India. The
movie also showcased how the government and the administration knowingly and at
times unknowingly help Pakistani operatives to spread terrorism in the country.
Now some will question why Nusrat Mirza revealed about his visits to India in
his interview after so many years. Even if we set aside why he must have
revealed this information, what bothers Indians is his allegation against the
former Vice President of India who had, allegedly leaked confidential
information to him. The Congress leadership should have rendered an explanation
into the allegation made by Nusrat Mirza. Although Jairam Ramesh has clarified,
still till the time I penned this article, the Congress high command has not
shown the courtesy of clarifying the allegations made by Mirza. However, the
Pakistani administration and military officials have immediately dismissed
Mirza’s allegations. Of course, the Pakistani ruling and military officials
confirming Mirza’s allegations were also not expected. Because if they were to
accept it, it would have been as if they are confirming their bad deeds.
During the
Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Mohammad Hamid
Ansari was the most favoured candidate of the leftists, the so-called secular,
the progressive thinkers and the journalists of the country. He had held the
Vice President position for ten consecutive years. Mirza’s allegations casts
doubts on the patriotism of a person holding such a senior and the most revered
constitutional position in the country. Although, Ansari clarified that he had
never invited Nusrat Mirza to attend any events in the country, but still there
is no clarity on the grave allegations.
History has numerous
references to how Congress leadership has always had favourable connections and
thus had made several trips to both China and Pakistan in the past. Even
recently, i.e two years ago the country witnessed how after China’s incursion
into the Galwan valley, the Congress leadership, instead of supporting the
Indian Army and the central government, had taken a hostile tone. Also, when
prime minister Narendra Modi had called an all-party meeting to discuss about
China’s intrusion, the Congress leadership had made its anti-national agenda
public. Even during the invasion of Dokhlam in Bhutan in 2017, the Congress
leadership, instead of standing by the Central government, was spreading
misinformation and making propaganda against the Modi government. The world has
seen how thousands of square kilometers of our land have been invaded by China
during the tenures of both Dr. Manmohan Singh and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s as
the Prime Minister of the country. Despite all this, the Congress leadership is
now giving the Modi government lessons in patriotism. It is not surprising to
see one of the senior Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh making concerted
efforts in support of Dr. Ansari and claiming that the allegations levelled by
the Pakistani journalist are baseless.
Dr. Ansari’s claim
that inviting Nusrat Mirza for the seminar on International Terrorism and Human
Rights held in December 2010 was the decision of the event’s organisers and
that he had nothing to do with Mirza coming to India. But the event organiser
and senior advocate Adhish Agarwal promptly refuted Dr. Ansari’s claim. Agarwal
clarified that it was vice president Dr. Ansari’s office that had sent the
invite to Nusrat Mirza asking him to attend the seminar. He also shared a
photograph of Dr. Ansari and Mirza from an event held in 2009. The photograph
showed that in 2009, at an event organised by the Jama Masjid United Front, Dr.
Ansari and Mirza were present on the same dais. Dr. Ansari has not yet
clarified this photograph. Agarwal said that he was informed through Dr.
Ansari’s secretary that they wanted to invite Nusrat Mirza for the programme.
But since Mirza is a Pakistani journalist, the organisers had informed Dr.
Ansari’s secretary that it would not be possible to invite him. When Dr. Ansari
came to know, he was upset at the organisers is what Ansari’s secretary Deewan
had informed us, Agarwal had said. The Congress leadership must clarify what
conclusions the citizens can draw from these revelations.
Also, the allegations
leveled by a retired officer from RAW, NK Sood, are as serious as those made by
Mirza’s exposé. Sood had alleged that when Dr. Ansari was the ambassador to
Iran, he had disclosed information about RAW and had thus endangered the lives
of RAW officials. This deepens suspicion around Ansari even further.
What has been said by
Nusrat Mirza, only brings to the fore the ties that have been shared by
Pakistan’s intelligence agencies with those who were in power at the Centre.
The timid face of the sympathizers of Pakistan has been exposed earlier as well
– be it Mani Shankar Aiyar, who made seditious statements in Pakistan asking
them to co-operate to dethrone the Modi government or be it Dr. Ansari for
hosting Nusrat Mirza. It has once again become evident that more than the
threat from the ISI or other international terrorist outfits, the country is
endangered by its citizens like Mohammad Hamid Ansari.
(Article Pre-Published in Times of India, 25 July 2022)
Keshav
Upadhye, chief spokesperson
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