'Targeted killings conspiracy by Pakistan to sabotage peace in J-K': BJP's Ravinder Raina

Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Thursday said the recent targeted killings in the Valley is a conspiracy by Pakistan to create fear and sabotage the Centre's efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the Union Territory. Raina asserted that the conspiracy by the neighbouring country will be thwarted as the police and other security agencies are neutralizing Pakistan-supported terrorists under operation 'all out' to provide a secure atmosphere people.

"As Jammu and Kashmir is moving towards peace and progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government with major developmental projects gaining speed, the frustrated Pakistan and its supported terrorists hatched a conspiracy to sabotage the government efforts by creating fear among the people," Raina told reporters here. He claimed the targeted killings is part of the conspiracy jointly chalked out by Pakistan's Inter-services Intelligence (ISI), its army and terrorist groups based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

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"They have named this conspiracy 'operation Red Wave' like we have seen the 'operation Tupac' in 1980-1990 under the leadership of then Pakistani military ruler Gen Zia-ul-Haq which brought death and destruction to Kashmir," the BJP leader claimed. Raina said Pakistan is the biggest enemy of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and it wants to create an "Afghanistan-like situation" in the Valley. He said the 'operation Red wave' will meet the same fate as the 'Operation Tupac' as police and security forces are determined to wipe out terrorism with active support of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who are nationalist by core.

Condemning the latest killing of bank manager Vijay Kumar in south Kashmir's Kulgam district, Raina said, "The coward Pakistan and its supported terrorists have once again committed a grave sin and they have to pay heavy price for this". "Whether it is (Kashmiri pandit) Rahul Pandita, (Muslim artist) Amreen, (policemen) Riyaz Ahmad Thokar and Saifullah Qadri, (Dogra from Jammu) Rajni Bala or bank manager from Rajasthan, innocent blood was split and Pakistan is directly involved in it over the last 35 years. They have turned the valley into a graveyard," Raina said.

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He said Pakistan-supported terrorists have committed grave human rights violations by killing innocents over the past three decades. "When terrorism raised its ugly head in the valley (in 1989), nationalist Muslims and minorities were targeted to create a fear and they are trying same thing again to harm brotherhood and sabotage the progress towards peace and development," he said.

Raina said Pakistan and its agencies are frustrated because the security forces eliminated all top commanders of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen and other groups operating in the valley. "The backbone of the terrorism has already been broken with security forces successfully foiling all attempts of infiltration and recovering drone-dropped weapons like pistols and sticky bombs. We will frustrate this conspiracy (targeted killings) as well," he said. He also referred to the surgical and Balakote strikes inside Pakistan and said "Pakistan will have to pay for its black deeds and crimes committed against humanity."

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