Odisha’s Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan fired back at the Congress party on Tuesday after former Union Minister P. Chidambaram admitted the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government weighed military retaliation following the deadly 2008 Mumbai terror attacks but backed down due to US pressure and diplomatic warnings.
Harichandan, speaking to reporters in Bhubaneswar, called Chidambaram’s revelation a clear sign of the Congress-led government’s past weaknesses. “This exposes how the UPA operated under hidden pressures during their 10 years in power, making choices that put India’s national security at risk,” he said. He even urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to step up and own the same admission as his party’s former Home Minister.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led Odisha government ramped up the criticism, calling on Chidambaram and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to apologize for the episode. Senior BJP figure and ex-Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad echoed the sentiment, telling media outlets, “This isn’t a surprise—we’ve pointed out this weakness for years. So why is Chidambaram only bringing it up now, after all this time?”
Chidambaram shared these details in a recent interview, recalling how just days after taking over as Home Minister, then-US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to urge restraint. “Please don’t react,” she advised, though Chidambaram noted it was ultimately the government’s call. He admitted thoughts of striking back had crossed his mind.
The senior Congress leader also disclosed that Singh had talked about possible retaliation even as the 26/11 Mumbai attacks unfolded, killing 166 people. But advice from the Ministry of External Affairs and top diplomats ultimately convinced the UPA to hold off on any military response.
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