Fact Check: Viral Post Alleging Arrest Of 11 BJP Members For ISI Spying Is 8 Years Old
The claim that 11 BJP members were arrested for spying for Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack is false. The viral clip dates back eight years to an incident in Madhya Pradesh, where the ATS arrested 11 individuals, including a BJP IT cell member, for operating an illegal telephone exchange linked to an ISI spying ring.
- By: Abhishek Parashar
- Published: May 8, 2025 at 09:19 AM
New Delhi (Vishvas News). Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, social media users are sharing a video clip of Hindi news channel ABP with the claim that police in Madhya Pradesh had arrested 11 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members for allegedly passing intelligence to Pakistan.
Vishvas News investigated the viral claim and found it to be fake. The video dates back to a 2017 operation by the Madhya Pradesh ATS, which busted an illegal telephone exchange linked to an ISI spy ring. Among the 11 arrested suspects was Dhruv Saxena, a member of the BJP IT cell at that time.
What is viral?
Social media user ‘I Support Rahul Gandhi’ shared the viral video clip (archive link ) and wrote, “11 members of Madhya Pradesh BJP were giving intelligence information to Pakistan and were spying.”
Investigation
The viral video clip features ABP News anchor Romana Isar Khan reporting that the MP Police had arrested 11 individuals for allegedly spying for Pakistan. She states, “News from Madhya Pradesh, where MP police have arrested 11 people spying for Pakistan. One of the 11 ISI people arrested by ATS is a man named Dhruv Saxena, who was arrested in Bhopal yesterday. Dhruv was earlier associated with the IT cell in the district unit of the BJP.”
It is important to clarify that while 11 individuals were arrested, only Dhruv Saxena, among them, had a connection with the BJP’s district IT cell in Bhopal.
The original video bulletin was aired on the official YouTube channel of ABP News on February 10, 2017.
Multiple news outlets, including Aajtak.com, reported that the Madhya Pradesh ATS arrested 11 suspects involved in an illegal telephone exchange, one of whom was identified as a member and former officer of the BJP IT cell.
Several other reports also describe this incident in a similar context. Our investigation reveals that the incident in question is not a recent one but an old one, which is now being reshared in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
We contacted the news anchor and journalist Romana Isar Khan regarding the viral video clip, and she confirmed, “This bulletin is quite old.”
Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was held on April 23, 2025, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the meeting, the Foreign Secretary said that the government had decided to suspend the Indus Water Treaty of 1960.
The attack claimed 26 lives, including that of a Nepali citizen. In response to India’s decision, reports suggest that Pakistan has warned about potentially suspending the 1972 Shimla Agreement, a key bilateral pact between the two countries.
Following the attack, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi reviewed the security arrangements in Srinagar. Prior to his visit, and soon after the attack, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also travelled to Srinagar.
The Facebook page that shared the misleading viral video has over 17000 followers.
Conclusion: The claim that 11 BJP members were arrested for spying for Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack is false. The viral clip dates back eight years to an incident in Madhya Pradesh, where the ATS arrested 11 individuals, including a BJP IT cell member, for operating an illegal telephone exchange linked to an ISI spying ring.
- Claim Review : 11 BJP members caught spying for Pakistan after Pahalgam terror attack.
- Claimed By : FB User-I Support Rahul Gandhi
- Fact Check : Misleading
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