'Terribly Wrong': Chidambaram Slams PM Modi's Remarks On UPA's 26/11 Attacks Response
PM Modi cited Chidambaram's interview to ABP News, wherein he spoke about the UPA government’s response to Pakistan following the 26/11 attacks, and explained why India exercised restraint.
Congress leader P Chidambaram hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, slamming him for his statement over India's response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, calling the remarks “terribly wrong”.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Chidambaram expressed his disappointment over the Prime Minister's recent remarks, which he said misattributed statements to him. “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 posted.
What PM Modi Said
The row follows remarks made by PM Modi a day earlier, where, without directly naming Chidambaram, he referenced a recent interview to ABP News, wherein the senior Congress leader discussed the previous UPA government’s approach towards Pakistan in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
During his address, PM Modi asked the Congress party to clarify who within the government decided to hold back the armed forces from taking action against Pakistan under perceived foreign pressure. "Mumbai is not only the economic capital city 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 asserted.
He continued, “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.”
Chidambaram, meanwhile, has countered these claims.
Chidambaram Recalls UPA Govt's Decision After 26/11 Attack
On October 1, while speaking on an ABP News Podcast, he described the complex decision-making process in the UPA government following the attacks and acknowledged the influence of international diplomatic efforts, particularly from the United States, on India's restraint.
He also recalled taking over the Home Ministry on November 30, 2008, stepping in just a day after the 26/11 attacks and the subsequent resignation of his predecessor, Shivraj Patil.
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