Congress leader P Chidambaram’s remark suggesting that the terrorists involved in Operation Sindoor may have been “homegrown” rather than from the neighbouring country, has invited sharp reactions from the BJP and its allies, even as some opposition parties also distanced themselves from the comment.
The remarks were made hours before the Parliament was to take up a detailed discussion on Operation Sindoor – the military and diplomatic response to the Pahalgam terror attack against Pakistan.
“It is clearly visible that whenever India faced a terrorist attack, Congress never spoke against Pakistan. Take the 26/11 attack, for example, Congress did nothing and failed to give a strong response,” Union minister Anurag Thakur, reacting sharply to his remark, said.
Chidambaram, who served as Union Home Minister and Finance Minister in the Congress-led UPA, questioned the government’s immediate attribution of the attack to Pakistan, saying, “What if they were homegrown terrorists? Why have you assumed they came from Pakistan? Where is the evidence? Has the NIA identified them? Where did they come from? Has the NIA revealed anything? Perhaps the terrorists were created here. The government is also hiding the extent of damage India suffered.”
The Congress leader’s comment led to several harsh counter comments, with many questioning why the Congress could not respond properly when faced with such attacks during its regime.
“Before 2014, the country witnessed several terrorist attacks. Did you ever try to eliminate those terrorists or the masterminds behind the camps?” BJP MP CP Joshi questioned.
Arun Govil, first time MP best known for portraying Lord Ram on screen, also reacted sharply saying, “There can be no bigger lie in this world than what Chidambaram has said.”
Another BJP leader Raj Purohit took it a step further: “If they weren’t Pakistanis, maybe they were Congressmen. Chidambaram has been the Home and Finance Minister, he knows things common people don’t.”
Reacting to the former minister in UPA government, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that the Congress has become a traitor organisation.
“The Congress has become a traitor organisation. What is the existence of the Congress that participated in the freedom struggle? Rahul Gandhi signs MoU with China’s Communist Party. There are huge corruption charges.”
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi also criticised former Chidambaram’s remarks on Operation Sindoor.
He accused Chidambaram of giving a “clean chit” to Pakistan, suggesting that Chidambaram’s comments could embolden Pakistan’s stance on terrorism.
“P Chidambaram, who was the former Home Minister, has given a clean chit to Pakistan. The same people, when they were in power, used to say that there is no hand of Pakistan. The former Home Minister and former Finance Minister should realise that such statements embolden Pakistan’s stand,” said Joshi.
BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya alleged that the Congress “always bend over backwards to protect the enemy.”
“Why is it that every time our forces confront Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Congress leaders sound more like Islamabad’s defence lawyers than India’s opposition? When it comes to national security, there should be no ambiguity. But with the Congress, there never is — they always bend over backwards to protect the enemy,” Malviya said in a post on X.
Notably, even the Opposition appeared to distance itself from Chidambaram’s remark.
“I haven’t heard the full statement, but the entire world knows who is behind these attacks. Pakistan’s role is clear. We must respond in their own language,” NCP (SP faction) leader Amar Sharadrao Kale said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also rebutted Chidambaram’s remarks, saying that people “do not need any proof” over Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack, noting instances of Islamabad’s involvement in previous terror activities.
Chaturvedi also emphasised that the proof of Pakistan’s involvement is that they defended The Resistance Front (TRF) at the United Nations Security Council.
TRF claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack in a post on X, in which 26 people were killed; however, they retracted the post, saying that their account was hacked.
“He has been a former Home Minister and has worked in a lot of ministries. In the history of the last 70 years between India and Pakistan, we have had wars with them and faced their terror activities. The proof is that first the TRF took the responsibility (of Pahalgam), then it retracted. Pakistan speaks at the UN on behalf of the TRF. The US has declared them a terrorist organisation,” she said.
Meanwhile, responding to the BJP’s criticism, Chidambaram alleged that his full recorded interview was suppressed by the “worst kind of trolls”.
“Trolls are of different kinds and use different tools to spread misinformation. The worst kind is a troll who suppresses the full recorded interview, takes two sentences, mutes some words, and paints the speaker in a black colour!” the Congress leader remarked.