By dragging the Shiv Sena, what is Headley trying to tell us

Updated: Friday, March 25, 2016, 15:24 [IST]

New Delhi, Mar 25: David Headley's statement on organising a fund raiser for the Shiv Sena does not spell out clearly what the reasons behind it were.

He told the court today at Mumbai where he is being cross-examined that he had planned on inviting Bal Thackarey for the fund raiser which was to be held in the US.

While on one hand he said that he had planned on inviting the chief for the fund raiser, on the other hand he also adds that there were no plans to attack him. This brings us to a very pertinent question as to why did he want to organise the fund raiser in the first place.

Why is Headley dragging the Shiv Sena in?
Headley's statement would require a thorough probe before we even start understanding his intent behind saying such things. However officers who have dealt with Headley say that he is a master at spin. He may be trying to put the Shiv Sena in poor light by dragging their name into it.

However there is no denying the fact that when Headley was in Mumbai he had met with Rege. He however made it clear that he had met with Rege only so that he could enter into the Shiv Sena Bhawan and carry out a reconnaissance.

While Headley did manage to survey this place twice and also handed over the details to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba it was never a target during the 26/11 attack.

Headley does speak a lot about the Shiv Sena. Officers say that his talk about a fund raiser is definitely not because he had any love for the party. He is a staunch hater of India and Hindus and there is no way he would have tried helping a party which is known for its pro-Hindu views.

There could be many factors behind such a statement. Headley is a spin doctor and he knows very well how to throw in bits and pieces of information so that the media goes on a tizzy.

However he is also known to be very inconsistent in his statements which had even prompted the defence to today ask him if he had undergone any treatment for mental disorder. Headley replied in the negative and said he is perfectly fine.