True, untrue or 'mischief'

There was an odd item on the BBC Radio news last night about the army and Conservative claims that the number of new patrol vehicles for British troops in Afghanistan was cut from 400 to 200. It ended with Bob Ainsworth being asked if the story was true and replying that the Conservatives were just causing 'mischief'. I thought it an odd choice of word at the time, not denying the story just attacking the Conservatives, of course the BBC just left the quote hanging.