Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress party on Wednesday, questioning its decision not to retaliate against Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. His remarks came shortly after inaugurating the Navi Mumbai International Airport and other major connectivity projects, where he referred to former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s recent admission that the then UPA government refrained from military action against Pakistan due to “intense international pressure.”
PM Modi accused the Congress-led government of displaying weakness at a critical juncture when the country needed a strong response. “Mumbai was attacked because it is India’s financial capital — the symbol of our growth and pride,” he said. “After the 26/11 attacks, our security forces were ready to strike back, but due to pressure from another country, the Congress government stopped them. This gave a message of weakness to the world,” the Prime Minister asserted.
The 26/11 terror attacks, which began on November 26, 2008, left 175 people dead, including civilians, police officers, and foreign nationals, during a 60-hour siege that brought Mumbai to a standstill. Ten heavily armed Pakistani terrorists carried out coordinated strikes at prominent locations, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and Nariman House. While nine were killed, the lone surviving attacker, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was captured alive and later executed in 2011.
PM Modi said that instead of acting decisively, the Congress government’s hesitation emboldened India’s enemies. “Congress must answer who made the decision under foreign pressure. The nation deserves to know,” he said. “The Congress’s weakness strengthened the terrorists and made India appear helpless before the world.”
Chidambaram’s statement, which reignited the long-standing political debate over the UPA’s response to the attacks, stated, “The whole world descended upon Delhi to tell us, ‘Don’t start a war.’” He said the government faced immense diplomatic pressure not to escalate the conflict with Pakistan, even though India’s security agencies were prepared for a retaliatory strike.
PM Modi, seizing on the admission, said that under his government, India no longer tolerates terrorism with restraint. “For us, nothing is more important than the safety and security of our citizens,” he said. “Today’s India gives a befitting reply and strikes deep inside the enemy’s den. We saw this during Operation Sindoor.”
Operation Sindoor, conducted on May 7, saw India carry out precision strikes on nine terror launch pads across the border, eliminating over 100 Pakistani terrorists in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. Following the operation, Pakistan attempted drone and missile attacks on Indian military and civilian sites, which were successfully intercepted and neutralised by Indian defence forces. The confrontation ended on May 10 after India’s firm military retaliation.
PM Modi concluded his address by asserting that the era of restraint in the face of terror is over. “This is a new India — one that answers every attack with strength, not silence,” he said, contrasting his government’s national security policy with what he called the Congress’s “timid and compromised” approach to terrorism.
