Newspaper Article 12/01/2023
India has been making efforts to establish a network of spies in several nations, but its nefarious plans are coming to light. A key example is Kulbushan Yadav, an Indian Navy officer who working for RAW, was apprehended by Pakistan, his travel documents and a number of false identities were found, proving that he was an Indian spy who had crossed the border into Balochistan via Iran. India frequently uses Iran and Afghanistan as justification for enforcing its hostile networks against several nations.
Recent events revealed an Indian spy network operating in Qatar. 8 ex-Indian Navy personnel have been detained in Qatar for spying on Qatar at the behest of India and Israel. For countries that might view India as a “friendly country,” the episode serves as a wake-up call.
Regarding the detention of its 8 naval spies in Qatar, who were detained by Qatari officials in August 2022, the Indian government has persisted in its denial. The detained spies were employed by the company Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, which also provided Qatari Navy training, logistics support, and equipment maintenance. Similar to what happened with Kulbushan Yadav, India initially repudiated its citizens and spies who were arrested in Qatar. When the families of the Navy men revealed on social media that they had been taken from their houses in Doha by the State Security Bureau, Ministry of Interior, Qatar, on August 30, the situation only came to light because India had concealed the arrest of its spies. India sent a top official to Doha to lend weight to negotiations with Qatar for the release of its spies only after coming under pressure from the families of 8 spies and domestic media. PM Modi and his Cabinet members have said nothing about it. The Indian government is working to obtain the release of its spies, but no progress has been reported as of yet.
Recent tensions between India and Qatar are largely due to Indian spies operating there against Qatar’s national interests and outspoken condemnation of Qatar by Indian media during the FIFA World Cup. The Hindutva State is the only beneficiary of the Indian diaspora in the Gulf nations, which poses a threat to the security of the host nations. Even in the past, Qatar has imprisoned and expelled Indians for a variety of offences. The Indian Servicemen Movement (IESM), under pressure from the families of Indian spies, wrote a letter to India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar requesting his intervention in an effort to suggest that the detained officers are former members of the armed forces and have nothing to do with the allegation. To avoid embarrassment if a confession statement is made public by the Qatari government after the football gala, the entire exercise is designed to give the impression that the imprisoned officers are not currently serving but rather retired members of the Navy.
Later, the arrests had to be approved by the Indian ambassador to Qatar. The eight reportedly only received consular access once, on October 3, when it became known that they were being held in solitary confinement.
India has employed other nations in order to promote its evil goals in addition to Qatar. Pakistan has also provided a significant amount of information showing how Indian intelligence agencies actively support terrorists.
Note: This article appeared in Kashmir Watch, dated 12 January 2023.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are of the author and do not necessarily represent Institute’s policy.