Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP and senior spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi on Monday, 13 July launched a pointed attack on the Indian National Congress (INC) at a press conference in New Delhi, alleging a 'match fixing' between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Congress in the handling of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Trivedi cited former Home Ministry Under Secretary RVS Mani to buttress his claim, asserting that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's counter-terrorism decisions were driven by vote-bank politics rather than national security imperatives.

The Core Allegation

Trivedi quoted RVS Mani, a former Under Secretary in the Home Ministry, describing what he called a 'match-fixing between Pakistan's infamous ISI agency and the Indian National Congress.' He argued the claim rested not on a single officer's testimony alone, but on a pattern of decisions that, he alleged, reflected the Congress's political inclinations.

The BJP leader contended that the UPA administration was poised to push a 'Hindu terror' narrative in the aftermath of the 26 November 2008 attacks, which killed 166 people. He stated that it was only the sacrifice of Maharashtra Police martyr Tukaram Omble — who gave his life to capture Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab alive — that prevented the attack from being attributed to 'Hindu terrorism.'

The Kasab Evidence and Identity Cards

Trivedi pointed to a specific detail he described as central to the alleged deception: all 10 Pakistani terrorists reportedly carried fake Hindu identity documents and wore sacred 'kalava' threads on their wrists. He said this was later confirmed by then Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria and special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

This, Trivedi argued, was designed to facilitate a false attribution of the attack — a plan that was foiled only after Kasab's capture provided irrefutable proof of Pakistani involvement.

Headley Interrogation and Sharm-El-Sheikh Declaration

The BJP spokesperson also questioned the Congress-led government's handling of David Coleman Headley, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative identified as a key planner of the 26/11 attacks. Trivedi alleged that instead of pressing for a formal, comprehensive interrogation on Indian soil, the government dispatched officials to the United States for limited interviews — a decision he described as a deliberate dilution of the probe.

He further cited the joint declaration signed at Sharm-El-Sheikh in July 2009 — just eight months after the Mumbai carnage — which stated that peace talks between India and Pakistan would continue regardless of terrorism. Trivedi called this a 'soft stance' that rewarded Pakistan diplomatically despite the unresolved terror attack.

Samjhauta Blast, Ishrat Jahan Affidavit, and 'Saffron Terror' Charge

Trivedi also alleged that the UPA government diverted major terror investigations, including the Samjhauta Express blast case, to manufacture what he called a 'saffron terror' narrative. He claimed this allowed several Pakistani accused to evade accountability despite actionable intelligence, including terror funding admissions reportedly made by operatives such as Arif Kasmani.

The BJP MP additionally referred to alleged changes in the Ishrat Jahan encounter affidavit, and claimed the then government did not permit the Army to take decisive action against Pakistan and its terror outfits, even as the Navy reportedly possessed crucial intelligence about the terrorists' sea route. Trivedi demanded that the Congress publicly explain these decisions.

Congress Yet to Respond

The Congress party had not issued a formal response to Trivedi's allegations at the time of reporting. The BJP's broadside comes amid a renewed political focus on the legacy of the UPA era's counter-terrorism record. With the 26/11 attacks now nearly 17 years in the past, the BJP's decision to revisit the episode signals an intent to keep the issue alive in the national political conversation ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.