This book is worth reading for diligent observers of Indian security issues. Author RVS Mani who was an official in Ministry of Home Affairs does a good job of penning down his experiences. There are only a few things mentioned in the book which have not been covered in many news outlets over the years. But the author does a good job of providing insider’s view of a lot of things related to India’s policy against terrorism and Pakistan that went wrong during UPA regime. Indian bureaucrats get a lot of well deserved criticism, but after reading this book, one realises  importance of the good jobs done by a few. I’ll cover only a few major points presented by the author here:

1.    

These 2 paragraphs are the basic summary of the fake bogey of Hindu terrorism UPA govt deliberately started for it’s own electoral gains.

2. Remember this “humanitarian” doctor Binayak Sen ? He used to treat naxal extortionists and terrorists in his clinincs. But refused to provide even first aid to injured police and other security personnel. This doctor and his wife used to host meeting for naxals. He was not the only Urban Naxal awarded by secular ecosystem by a post in Planning Commission and many awards. There are hundreds like him living off tax payer money even now. 

3. Naxals in states governed by Congress regimes like Chattisgarh regularly snatched weapons from policemen. Normally there’d be a detailed inquiry and errant personnel punished. But no action was ever taken by Congress govts against policemen who regularly “lost” their weapons to Naxals.4. 

4.

Can you imagine anything good coming from ministers like these ? 

5. During 26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai, This UPA Home minister kept on changing clothes throughout the day and deliberately delayed departure of Indian counter-terrorist team. Author directly blames him for this delay with this line, ” A lot of lives could have been saved but for the lackadaisical attitude of then Home Minister”.

6. Same HM brought Digvijay Singh and Hemant Karkare in his office and allowed them to interrogate MHA officials in violation of protocols and procedures, All 3 were instrumental in creating the fiction of Hindu terrorism. Evidences and testimonies in a number of terrorist attacks were discarded and fake proofs created to implicate Hindus such as Col Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya. All such Hindus implicated in name of Hindu terrorism were later acquitted of all charges by highest courts. Some of these incidents where evidences was tampered with are mentioned in the book. 

7. In order to implicate Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in murder of assassin Ishrat Jahaan and her associates, UPA ministers like Sushil Kumar Shinde lied about not getting access to terrorist David Headley. Major portions of his testimony to Indian investigators was excised and fake allegations against Modi, Shah and even USA govt were raised.

8. MHA investigations had proven that Ishrat was a terrorist while UPA regime was trying it’s best to prove her innocent. In order to win the case, UPA raised numerous hurdles and planted fake evidences and testimonies like that of now jailed and disgraced policeman Sanjiv Bhatt. Officials in central and state departments and courts were instructed to not allow submission of evidence and documents which could have proven that Ishrat was on a mission to assassinate Modi and that the encounter that killed her was genuine. Author describes some of his own stories about how officials taking order from UPA ministers tried their best to push this agenda. A number of officers were hand picked by UPA ministers and installed by ignoring procedure in key positions to peddle the political and communal agenda of Congress.

9. This fact is not that well known, but intelligence reports suggested that Pakistan planned to capture a few ministers and officials as hostages during 26/11 attack. They had very specific intelligence inputs about presence of such targets in some locations. This along with how easily terrorists managed to find and attack targets in a huge city like Mumbai could not have been possible without moles in government. He has provided a name of an official who was actually inside the Taj Hotel as terrorists were killing people inside. Yet she managed to come out without a scratch.

10. A team of key officials was visiting Pakistan and was scheduled to comeback on 26 Nov. A suspicious officer who had nothing to do with the talks (muslim name) was added to delegation at the last minute. Pakis suddenly deliberately extended the visit and took the team offgrid as the attack was under progress. This caused confusion and delays in Indian counter-terror operations on 26/11

11. Author was part of the team investigating the attacks and attempts were made to assault/kidnap him. This is one incident describing how Delhi police who worked directly under the HM responded. Later he and his parents were harassed in their homes by CBI and Delhi police. He names many Delhi police and CBI officers who harassed him multiple times to force him to drop his complaint. He directly states that UPA HM was pulling all the strings and blames them for death of his aged parents. His son was fired from his job after his employers got calls from CBI.

12. He also dismissed claims of any surgical strike done during 2006-2010 period as mere fiction.

BASIC SUMMARY:

1. UPA govt manufactured the bogey of Hindu terrorism by destroying evidence and creating fake documents to implicate Hindus in terrorist attacks done by muslims. This was presumably done to check rise of BJP under Narendra Modi.

2. This and their general incompetence led to weakening of Indian institutions and rise in terrorist attacks.