Overview
- Kumar Ketkar, a senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP, claimed the US and Israeli intelligence agencies worked to keep Congress from returning to power in 2014.
- He asserted that Mossad compiled detailed state and constituency data and that both agencies held granular voter information to influence outcomes.
- Citing Congress seat totals of 145 in 2004, 206 in 2009 and 44 in 2014, Ketkar argued the steep drop was not a public mandate and said a majority government was sought, but not one led by Congress.
- The remarks were captured in a PTI video from a Congress-organised Constitution Day programme and have been widely reported without independent corroboration or official confirmation.
- Responding on Thursday, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra rejected the claim, saying electoral victories are decided by voters and mocking Congress with a counter-jibe referencing Pakistan’s ISI.