New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) For Shehzad Bhatti, the social media has become a major platform to recruit Indians and make them carry out anti-national acts. The police of various states have cracked down on these networks, but as each day passes more such modules are cropping up.
Bhatti who is backed by the ISI has not just been tapping people who are in need of money. There are a variety of persons who are being watched by Bhatti and his aides who are based in Pakistan.
Comments, opinions and content on social media that the people share is being closely monitored by the Bhatti syndicate. There are certain posts where people have made comments or posted their opinion against the establishment or authorities governing it.
An official said that such persons are under Bhatti’s radar and could become potential recruits if not acted upon.
Such persons are being contacted by Bhatti’s aides and once they fall into the trap they are given minor tasks, the official added.
The official further stated that the minor tasks would include posting against the establishment and also commenting on incidents that take place within the country.
These recruits have been told to indulge in a perception battle. The idea is to create a perception that goes against the country. On his part, Bhatti uses all tools at his disposal to ensure that these posts go viral in various parts of the world.
Getting people to engage with the post and reach a wider audience is the Bhatti network’s responsibility, the official added.
Shehzad Bhatti who is an ISI stooge has set up multiple modules in India. He had adopted multiple strategies where recruitment is concerned. There are some modules that he has set up, which are only meant to make attacks.
There are others which only undertake surveillance activity which includes gathering information about sensitive locations.
There are also modules which are meant to gather information about crowded locations and also instal solar powered CCTV cameras.
This module that Bhatti has set up is only meant to post content against the establishment and speak about incidents that take place which have not been good for the country.
An Intelligence Bureau official says that this module is extremely dangerous as it is intended at carrying out a perception battle against India.
The idea is to defame and create an anti-India perception across the globe. Bhatti who himself was a social media influencer before being roped in by the ISI, knows the tricks of the trade.
He is aware on how to get a huge audience to engage with such content. He also has a dedicated team in Pakistan which knows how to keep tabs on social media.
Another official said that for now, Bhatti and his aides want these social media handles to keep posting content on their own. Once things are set, the content would be provided by Bhatti and his associates and the recruits would be told to use their social media handles to post the same.
While the Maharashtra ATS has bust a module that indulged in an anti-India perception battle, officials warn that Bhatti would look to set up more such networks in different parts of the country.
The ATS had raided over 200 locations in Maharashtra in connection with the Shehzad Bhatti case.
An agency official said that apart from Bhatti, the Pakistani handlers who were controlling this module include Abu Musa, Amjal Gujjar, Abit Jat, Rana Husen, Abdul Memon, Munna Jhingada, Farooq Khokar, Zafar Supari, Shani Tiger, Sheikh Salman and Sarfaraz Dongar.
Each one of them have individual social media handles through which they would recruit Indian youth, the official also added.
Officials also point out that Bhatti’s next big operation could be in Punjab and this would be linked to the Khalistan issue. The ISI has been desperately trying to revive the movement and will get Bhatti to commence operations in the state, officials also say.
–IANS
vn/rad
