With Indian security agencies closing in on Mohammad Lateef Bhat, the suspected mastermind behind the Kulgam attack that left three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel injured, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) appears to be resorting to diversionary tactics.

Little is known about Mohammad Omar Azzam, who describes himself as the spokesperson of a newly floated outfit, ‘Pasdaran-e-Hurriyat Kashmir (PeHK)’. The outfit claimed responsibility for the Kulgam attack through a social media post attributed to Azzam.

Several posts similar to the one posted by Azzam were circulated on social media after the attack.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that while the LeT has come up with proxies such as The Resistance Front (TRF) and Kashmir Revolutionary Army (KRA) to give itself an indigenous appearance, the PeHK and Azzam cropped up with the intention of diverting attention away from Bhat.

“Bhat is a key Lashkar operative and has been active for the outfit for the past several months. He has mastered the tactic of carrying out small-scale attacks before going underground for months. He is armed with an AK-47 and manages to blend into the local population after executing an attack,” the official said.

Following the Kulgam attack, the agencies put out posters seeking information relating to Bhat and his accomplices, Bilal Ahmad Mir, Mohammad Umar Mir and Abid Qayoom.

There is concrete information that Bhat, originally from Kulgam in South Kashmir, is very much in J&K. However, information relating to his accomplices suggested that they have been hiding in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The official said the LeT was now keen to divert the attention of security agencies away from Bhat, whose continued operations were crucial to keeping the outfit active in the region.

He said Bhat was among the few operatives capable of sustaining the group’s activities through targeted, small-scale attacks.

“This would give the LeT time to rebuild its base in Jammu and Kashmir. Bhat’s arrest or elimination in an operation would deal a major blow to the outfit. This is why it is seeking to create further diversions by floating proxy organisations such as PeHK and projecting a person like Mohammad Azzam as its spokesperson,” the official said.

The PeHK statement, however, goes beyond merely claiming responsibility for the Kulgam attack. It invokes the Hindutva issue and warns of a fresh wave of attacks targeting Hindus and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

It speaks about ending Hindu dominance.

Another official said that the diversionary tactics were clear. The statement tried to divert the attention of the security forces, who are closing in on Bhat.

The LeT is seeking to exploit this brief diversion to give Bhat a better opportunity to evade security agencies and escape the dragnet. Neither the ISI nor the LeT would want him to leave Jammu and Kashmir, as he is considered vital to carrying out further attacks in the Valley.

“He is well-trained and requires very little instruction. Until the new crop of terrorists is recruited and battle-ready, the ISI would do everything to protect Bhat, who is also responsible for the fatal shooting of Jammu and Kashmir Head Constable Aashiq Hussain in Anantnag,” the official also said.

Post the Kulgam attack, the security forces responded swiftly by cordoning off the area immediately. The response has prevented the attackers from advancing further and taking cover.

Officials say that in Jammu and Kashmir, one can expect the cropping of many more proxy outfits in the days to come. There would be posts threatening the Indian security forces, targeting organisations such as the RSS, the migrant workers and the Kashmiri Pandits, an official said.

Women are set to play a significant role in the November 27 Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Tripura, with female voters accounting for more than half of the total electorate and women candidates nearly matching their male counterparts, officials said on Friday.

An official of the State Election Commission (SEC) said that around 5.70 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the ULB elections across the state’s eight districts, with women constituting more than 50 per cent of the electorate.

According to the final electoral rolls for the 21 Urban Local Bodies, the gender ratio stands at 1,044 females for every 1,000 males.

The official said that a total of 810 candidates have filed nominations for 345 seats across the 21 Urban Local Bodies, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC). Of these, 403 are women, and 407 are men, reflecting a near-equal representation of the two genders in the electoral contest.

The 155-year-old Agartala Municipal Corporation alone accounts for 51 seats, with 25 seats reserved for women.

Of the total 345 seats in 21 Urban Local Bodies, 162 have been reserved for women, while 80 seats have been reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and nine seats for candidates from the Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The Agartala Municipality, later renamed the Agartala Municipal Corporation, was instituted in 1871 during the reign of the erstwhile king Maharaja Chandra Manikya (1862-96). The Agartala Municipal Corporation was officially formed on January 21, 2014, when the erstwhile Agartala Municipal Council was upgraded to a municipal corporation.

With ruling BJP candidates having won 77 seats unopposed in eight municipal bodies, polling will now be held in 268 seats across 16 Urban Local Bodies in the state out of a total of 345 seats in 21 ULBs.

The SEC official said that, as no opposition or other political parties had fielded candidates in 65 seats across five municipal bodies — Kamalpur in Dhalai district, Santir Bazar in South Tripura district, and Ranir Bazar, Jirania and Mohanpur in West Tripura district — all 65 BJP candidates had been declared elected unopposed.

This has enabled the BJP to secure full control of these five urban local bodies without a contest. Besides these 65 seats, BJP candidates also won 12 more seats unopposed in three other municipal bodies — Ambassa in Dhalai district, Teliamura in Khowai district and Bishalgarh in Sepahijala district.

The SEC official added that following the conclusion of the withdrawal of candidature process on November 10 afternoon, a total of 733 candidates remained in the fray for the 268 seats in 16 Urban Local Bodies spread across the state’s eight districts, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC).

The Agartala Municipal Corporation alone accounts for 51 seats, making it the largest urban local body in the state. Of the 733 candidates contesting the November 27 elections, the BJP has the highest number of nominees, with 265 remaining in the fray.

The CPI(M) has fielded 228 candidates, while Congress has 201. The BJP’s ally, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), has fielded 10 candidates, while 29 Independent and other candidates are also contesting the elections.

The SEC official also said that the terms of all 21 Urban Local Bodies in Tripura, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation, are scheduled to expire on December 9.

Meanwhile, leaders of the opposition CPI(M) and Congress alleged that candidates belonging to opposition parties were threatened by “ruling party goons” and that their proposers were also intimidated and threatened to prevent them from contesting the ULB elections in the five municipal bodies and other places.

Many CPI(M) members and workers were also injured in different parts of the state after alleged attacks by BJP activists aimed at preventing Left party candidates from contesting the ULB elections. The counting of votes for the November 27 elections will be taken up on December 2.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) allegations that he is receiving “help from foreign powers” to create “anarchy” in the country, alleging that his phone is being “tapped on the directions” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Moreover, the LoP renewed his one-on-one debate challenge to PM Modi, claiming that the exchange would “end the latter’s political career”.

In a video posted on Congress’s official X account, Rahul Gandhi held up his phone, saying, “The proof is here.”

“It is in this phone. The Prime Minister (Modi) knows it because he taps my phone, the moment he comes for the one-one-one debate, everybody will know who is controlled by foreign powers and who is an anti-national, since when he’s been an anti-national and lots of other details that I know and are on my phone,” he alleged.

Rahul Gandhi also took a jibe at Prime Minister Modi over his previous “debate” challenge.

“If he (PM Modi) comes to debate he will have to come out of his air chamber and breathe what everybody else breathes,” the LoP said, referring to the rising pollution levels in Delhi-National Capital Region.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had challenged PM Modi to directly engage in a debate on a host of issues.

Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s challenge for debate in the Parliament, the LoP said: “I tried to do it in the Parliament but my mic is switched off. I was not allowed to speak on Kisan Bill, ‘vote chori’, SIR, China and other issues.”

Urging for an one-on-one political exchange, Rahul Gandhi said: “I don’t want a speech based debate.”

“I guarantee that after a one-on-one debate, Prime Minister won’t be able to hold on to his post,” the LoP claimed.

Later in a video message on his official X account, Rahul Gandhi said: “The Prime Minister’s political career will be over if he comes and debates with me. He knows that and I know that.”

“He (PM Modi) keeps calling me anti-national, I want to show the nation exactly who is anti-national, exactly who is controlled by whom and since when. He knows the truth of that,” the LoP added.

The Congress MP also claimed that Prime Minister Modi has “fear in his mind” which is why “he is no longer commenting about me”.

“He (PM Modi) is no longer attacking me, he is being very very careful. There is a reason for it,” Rahul Gandhi remarked.