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New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram has triggered a massive controversy by questioning Pakistan's involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack.
In an interview, Chidambaram said that "homegrown terrorists" could be involved in the Pahalgam terror attack and asked the government what evidence there is to prove that the perpetrators were from Pakistan. The BJP has hit back and accused Congress of giving Pakistan 'a clean chit'. The saffron party also said that the Opposition party always tries to "protect the enemy".
Chidambaram was speaking with The Quint when he said, "Have they identified the terrorists? Where did they come from? I mean, for all we know, they could be homegrown terrorists. Why do you assume that they came from Pakistan? There's no evidence of that." He raised questions on the Centre's stance, which has maintained that the Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which 26 innocent civilians lost their lives, was executed by perpetrators from Pakistan.
He also accused the Centre of not disclosing the losses and said, "They are also hiding the losses. I said it in a column that in a war, losses will occur on both sides. I understand that India would have suffered losses. Be upfront. Winston Churchill in World War II made a statement every other day. Whatever losses they suffered, Britain suffered; they made it plain. Therefore, they are reluctant to admit the losses. But losses are inevitable and natural in a war. So, admit the losses. I think they think they can put a large shroud on Operation Sindoor. It won't work."
Chidambaram also asked, "And why is the Prime Minister not speaking on Operation Sindoor? Why do you think there's a reluctance to have a debate in the temple of democracy? That's what Parliament is. After all, Prime Minister Modi has addressed the nation. He's addressed various rallies."
BJP leader Amit Malviya took to the X and responded, "P Chidambaram, former UPA-era Home Minister and the original proponent of the infamous 'Saffron Terror' theory, covers himself with glory yet again: Have they (NIA) identified the terrorists or where they came from? For all we know, they could be homegrown terrorists. Why do you assume they came from Pakistan? There is no evidence of that."
He added, "Once again, the Congress rushes to give a clean chit to Pakistan - this time after the Pahalgam terror attack. 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."
Shehzad Poonawalla, the BJP spokesperson, also responded to Chidambaram's statements and said, "26/11 to Surgical Strike to Pahalgam, Congress ka haath, Pakistan ke saath!" However, Congress MP Imran Masood supported Chidambaram and said, "The terrorists are still alive. Aren't you ashamed? If the Pahalgam killers are alive, every Indian should be ashamed."
Meanwhile, Chidambaram accused the BJP of spreading misinformation. He took to X and wrote, "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!"
