‘Terribly wrong’: Chidambaram hits back after Modi’s 2008 Mumbai terror attack remarks

Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remarks about the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that were misattributed to him, calling them “terribly wrong.”

“I quote the Hon’ble PM’s words (as reported in ToI): “…..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 said on X.

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Chidambaram’s sharp reaction came a day after PM Modi, without naming him, referred to a recent interview of a “senior Congress leader” to claim that after the 26/11 attacks, the UPA government did not take action against Pakistan due to pressure from another country.

“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,” Modi said while addressing a gathering in Mumbai on Wednesday.

The PM 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.”

Modi further asked the Congress party to tell the people of the country who made the decision under foreign pressure and played with the national sentiments.

“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,” he added.

Earlier this month, Chidambaram, while speaking on a podcast, had purportedly revealed how international pressure shaped India’s response to the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.