‘If Trump can, so should you’: After Venezuela capture, Owaisi urges Modi to bring 26/11 masterminds from Pakistan

Citing the example of US military's air strikes on Venezuela and capture of President Nicolas Maduro, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back masterminds of the 26/11 terror attack from Pakistan to India.

“If US President Donald Trump can abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his own country, then you (Prime Minister Modi) can also go to Pakistan and bring back the mastermind of the 26/11 terrorist attacks to India,” Owaisi said, as he also referred to Saudi's attack on separatist camp Yemen.

Owaisi's remarks came after US military raided Venezuela in overnight operations on Saturday and captured Maduro and his wife. The couple was brought them to New York where they are likely to be imprisoned in federal custody and face criminal charges in connection with a Justice Department indictment accusing them of a role in narco-terrorism conspiracy.

“We are telling you Modiji, you can also go into Pakistan and bring back those cruel people who hatched the conspiracies against Mumbai, be it Masood Azhar or LeT's ruthless devils,” Owaisi said.

Owaisi was referring to the deadly Mumbai terror attacks of 2008 when 10 terrorists from Pakistan's LeT terror outfit stormed into Mumbai and brought the city to a standstill with a series of 12 coordinated attacks from November 26 to 29. At least 170 people died and over 300 people were injured in the attack which became one of India's worst terror attacks.

The 26/11 terror attack has been a flash point between the NDA and the opposition Congress, which was in power at the time of the attack. The BJP has on and off accused the Congress of taking a soft stance against Pakistan over Mumbai terror attack.

However, in September 2025, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram claimed that while India was ready for retaliation against Pakistan after 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, it decided not to after pressure from the international community.

Chidambaram said that Dr. Manmohan Singh, the then prime minister, discussed retaliation even when the 26/11 Mumbai attacks were going on. However, the UPA government was advised by the foreign ministry and diplomats not not physically react to the situation.