Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attributing remarks to him regarding India's response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, calling the statement “terribly wrong”.
In a post on X, Chidambaram expressed disappointment at the Prime Minister’s comments.
“I quote the Hon'ble PM's words: ‘…..has said India was ready to respond after 26/11, but because of the pressure exerted by some country, then Congress govt stopped India's armed forces from attacking Pakistan.’ The statement has three parts, and each one of them is WRONG, terribly WRONG. It is disappointing to read that the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India imagined the words and attributed them to me,” Chidambaram wrote.
The remarks came a day after Prime Minister Modi, without naming Chidambaram, referred to an interview the senior Congress leader had given recently about the UPA government’s response to Pakistan following the 26/11 attacks.
{{/usCountry}}The remarks came a day after Prime Minister Modi, without naming Chidambaram, referred to an interview the senior Congress leader had given recently about the UPA government’s response to Pakistan following the 26/11 attacks.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking at an event on Wednesday, PM Modi urged the Congress to disclose who, under foreign influence, decided to halt military action against Pakistan after the terror strikes. “Mumbai is not only the economic capital but also one of the most vibrant cities in India. That is why terrorists chose Mumbai for a major attack in 2008. But the Congress government in power then sent a message of weakness, a message of surrender to terrorism,” he said.
PM Modi added, “Recently, a senior Congress leader, who even served as the former Home Minister, revealed big things in an interview. He claimed that after the Mumbai attack, our forces were ready to attack Pakistan. The entire country wanted the same. But according to that Congress leader, the then government stopped India's forces from taking action due to pressure from another country. Congress must tell us who made this decision under foreign pressure, who played with Mumbai's national sentiment. The country has the right to know. This weakness of Congress strengthened the terrorists and weakened national security, a price repeatedly paid by the country in lives lost.”
On October 1, in an ABP News podcast, Chidambaram had recounted the UPA government’s decision-making process in the wake of the attacks.
He said international diplomatic pressure, particularly from the United States, had shaped India’s stance during that period. Chidambaram took charge as Home Minister on November 30, 2008 — a day after the terror strikes and following Shivraj Patil’s resignation.