Modi has 'accepted defeat', his dream ‘will never be fulfilled’: Masood Azhar on Kashmir

Masood Azhar, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief and UN-proscribed terrorist, has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "accepted his defeat" over the Kashmir issue by revoking its special status and said industrialists will buy land there which will result in Kashmiri Muslims "losing their existence".

The Parliament had earlier this week given its nod to the legislation for bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir, a bold and far-reaching decision that seeks to redraw the map and future of a region at the centre of a protracted militancy movement. 

In a purported message circulated on 'Telegram' on August 7, Azhar alleged that Modi has "thrown an axe on his foot" by going ahead with the decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The mujahideens...have approached near their destination. Due to the fear, the ant grew wings and the jackal is on its way to the city. The Modi government has admitted his humiliation and defeat by revoking the special status of Kashmir and he has thrown an axe on his foot. One chapter of Ghazwa-e-Hind (holy war against India) and of 'jihad' Kashmir has been completed," the message appeared in 'Aurora Intel' under the name of the author Faran Jeffery.

"Modi...thinks that if the special status of Kashmir is over, Hindu capitalists like Ambani, Mittal and Jindal will buy whole Kashmir...and then they will earn money through tourism and forbidden acts while Kashmiri Muslims will lose their existence," Azhar said, adding that such a dream "will never be fulfilled".

Recently, China lifted its technical hold on listing Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. It said it took the decision after it found no objection to the listing proposal by the US, the UK and France following a careful study of the revised materials. China removed its hold on the proposal, which was moved by France, UK and the US in the Security Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee in February just days after the deadly Pulwama terror attack carried out by the Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM.

A known fugitive, 50-year-old Azhar, who formed the JeM in 2000, was branded the brain behind various suicide strikes in India and known to have finetuned terror tactics which included survey of potential targets before carrying out the attack.

The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, UK and the US on February 27.