Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram responded sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks regarding his comments on India’s response after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Addressing the PM’s criticism on social media, Chidambaram described it as a “figment of imagination,” tweeting, “It is disappointing to read that the Hon’ble prime minister of India imagined the words and attributed them to me.” He insisted that all assertions made by the Prime Minister about him were “terribly wrong,” noting that each part of Modi’s statement misrepresented his position.
The controversy erupted last week after Chidambaram, in a podcast interview, disclosed that he had considered retaliatory action against Pakistan following the 26/11 attacks but was ultimately persuaded not to proceed due to international pressure. He recounted that the world, including then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, urged India not to escalate tensions, flying in shortly after he assumed office to meet him and the Prime Minister. Chidambaram clarified that, while he had contemplated some act of retribution, the final decision rested with the government and no official secrets were disclosed.
Following the interview, BJP leaders, including PM Modi, publicly criticized Chidambaram and the then-UPA government for allegedly displaying weakness by yielding to global pressure. During the inauguration of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, PM Modi remarked that India’s security forces had been prepared to strike Pakistan after the attacks, but the Congress government prevented action under pressure from a foreign nation. Chidambaram, however, countered these claims, asserting that the Prime Minister’s portrayal of his statements was incorrect and misleading, and reaffirmed that his original comments were taken out of context.
