PM Modi Criticised UPA Government’s Response to Pakistan Following the 26/11 Attacks in an Event in Mumbai.

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A political storm brews as former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The Congress leader and former Union minister called the statement regarding India's response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks “terribly wrong”.

What PM Modi Said?

Speaking at an event, PM Modi urged the Congress to disclose who, under foreign influence, decided to halt military action against Pakistan after the terror strikes. “Mumbai is not only the economic capital 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,” he said.

PM Modi added, “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. Congress must tell us who made this decision under foreign pressure, who played with Mumbai's national sentiment. 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.”

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Chidambaram Counters PM Modi’s 26/11 Narrative

In a post on X, Chidambaram expressed disappointment at the Prime Minister’s comments.

“I quote the Hon'ble PM's words: ‘…..has said India was ready to respond after 26/11, but because of the pressure exerted by some country, then the 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 wrote.

The remarks came a day after Prime Minister Modi, without naming Chidambaram, referred to an interview the senior Congress leader had given recently about the UPA government’s response to Pakistan following the 26/11 attacks.

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On October 1, in an ABP News podcast, Chidambaram disclosed the UPA government’s decision-making process in the wake of the attacks. He said international diplomatic pressure, particularly from the United States, had shaped India’s stance during that period. 

In the podcast, Chidambaram said, "The whole world descended upon Delhi to tell us 'don't start a war'."

"Condoleeza Rice, who was then US Secretary of State, flew in two or three days after I took over, to meet me and the Prime Minister. And to say, 'please don't react'. I said this is a decision that the government will take. Without disclosing any official secret, it did cross my mind that we should do some act of retribution," he added.

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Meanwhile, Chidambaram took charge as Home Minister on November 30, 2008, a day after Shivraj Patil’s resignation following the terror strikes in Mumbai.

About Operation Sindoor: India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack

Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force carried out joint missions as part of Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists.

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In this legitimate act of self-defence, Indian forces attacked nine terrorist facilities in a well-coordinated overnight operation. The targets included the infrastructure of JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen in Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muridke. Operation Sindoor highlights India’s successful counter-terror strategy despite controversies.