Congress-NCP played part in 26/11 attack, alleges BJP’s Madhav Bhandari 

Senior BJP leader Madhav Bhandari on Monday alleged that the Congress and NCP, which were in power during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, played a part in the incident as the government was aware of the threat months in advance but failed to prevent it. Reacting to Bhandari’s allegations, Ajit Pawar, while speaking in Pune on Monday, said, “There can be an inquiry in this matter, especially when we are in power at the Centre and in the state and police machinery is in your hands. Whoever is found involved can be punished.” 

Bhandari claimed that a high-level meeting was held on June 30, 2008, at the Mantralaya, chaired by the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and attended by then home minister R R Patil, senior Maharashtra police officials, and defence personnel from all three forces. He said the possibility of a terror attack through the sea route was discussed, and 85 per cent of the potential targets were identified. 

“The minutes of the meeting were drafted the same day, and a press note was also issued. I have a copy of that press note. It clearly shows that the government was in the knowledge of a possible attack. Then why did the attack happen? If they knew it five months ago, why were no effective steps taken?” Bhandari asked. 

He said when he raised these questions at the time, the then Home Minister R R Patil had admitted that there was an input about a possible strike on October 26, 2008, but since nothing happened on that date, the government became complacent. 

“What kind of answer is this? The real question is who postponed the attack by one month and on whose direction? I had asked this then, and I am asking this again,” Bhandari said. 

The BJP leader also alleged that the attack could not have happened without local support. “And by locals, I don’t mean porters or dock workers. I mean those who could influence the local administration, who could make certain changes at that level,” he said.