Senator‑turned‑Union Home Minister P Chidambaram denied Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent claims about India’s reaction to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, saying the allegations were “wrong” and “distorted” facts.
Chidambaram made the statement on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday. He said the PM had misattributed words to him and that the remarks about a ready military response and foreign pressure were false.
“How the Hon’ble Prime Minister imagined these words and put them on me is disappointing,” Chidambaram wrote. “The statement has three parts, and each one is wrong, terribly wrong.”
The controversy started when Modi spoke in Mumbai on Wednesday, amid the inauguration of the new Navi Mumbai International Airport. Modi said India had been prepared to strike back against Pakistan after the 2008 attacks but that the Congress‑led UPA government had stopped the forces, allegedly under pressure from a foreign country.
Modi described Mumbai as a “dynamic and vibrant” city – its energy, he said, made it a target of terrorism. He accused the Congress party of “surrendering to terrorism” and of letting foreign influence curb India’s response. “Who exerted that foreign pressure? Who in Congress made that decision?” Modi asked. “The people of India deserve to know,” he added.
Chidambaram explained that he became India’s Home Minister on 30 November 2008, a day after the attacks and after Shivraj Patil’s resignation. He said the idea of retaliation crossed his mind but that after discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the decision was to use diplomatic means rather than a military strike.
He said global pressure – especially from the United States – shaped that choice. “U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with us in Delhi and urged us not to start a war,” Chidambaram recalled in a recent podcast. “We had to exercise restraint to avoid a larger conflict.”
The debate highlights the ongoing clash between Narendra Modi’s hard‑line security stance and P Chidambaram’s view of the government’s cautious approach after the 26/11 attacks. It underscores the political tug‑of‑war over how India should handle terrorism and foreign influence, and remains a key point of contention between the BJP and Congress parties.
Source: ianslive
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
