Congress has once again demonstrated why its brand of politics is increasingly seen as disconnected, dangerous, and damaging to national interests.
In a shocking statement that has drawn sharp criticism from across the political spectrum, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Chidambaram ahead of the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament gave a clean chit to Pakistan for its role in Pahalgam Terror Attack. He asked, “Why do you assume that the attackers came from Pakistan?” — a question that conveniently aligns with Pakistan’s standard propaganda playbook. His remarks have sparked a massive backlash, with the BJP accusing him of providing rhetorical cover to India’s enemies and trivializing the cross-border nature of jihadist terror.
“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 said in an interview to Congress-supporting leftist portal The Quint.
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… pic.twitter.com/c32I1KzqOg
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 27, 2025
The Pahalgam massacre wasn’t a random act of violence. It was a well-planned attack on Hindu tourists, with militants checking victims’ religion before executing them. The Resistance Front, a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility. Indian agencies have pointed to concrete cross-border links, but Chidambaram, ever eager to play contrarian, chose to raise questions — not of the terrorists, but of India’s counter-terror operations and evidence-gathering.
While the Modi government launched a precise and powerful retaliatory strike through Operation Sindoor, demonstrating restraint and resolve, Chidambaram’s remarks effectively provides ammunition to Pakistan to diminish its role in supporting terrorists. By casting doubt on the foreign hand, he not only undermined the sacrifices of the security forces but also echoed the same narrative Pakistan pushes to escape culpability.
Previous Instances Of Chidambaram Peddling Pro-Pakistan Agenda
While 26/11 Mumbai terror attack by Pakistani terroists shocked the nation, Chidambaram was busy targeting Hindus warning of ‘saffron terror.
In December 2016, during a public discussion, Chidambaram insisted that India should not walk away from diplomacy even in the face of provocations. “You have to continue to engage with Pakistan,” he said, adding that eventually, India must find a way to coexist peacefully. His remarks were perceived by many as dangerously naïve and misaligned with ground realities, particularly in light of Pakistan’s repeated ceasefire violations and terror infiltration.
In February 2017, Chidambaram asserted that India must continuously engage with Pakistan, stating, “We are neighbours… we will be neighbours for hundreds of years.” He cautioned against flip-flop foreign policy and argued that dialogue was the only sustainable solution. This statement came at a time of heightened tensions effectively downplaying Pakistan’s continued support for terrorism.
In April 2019, while speaking at an Observer Research Foundation (ORF) symposium, Chidambaram stated that India must “change its behaviour toward Pakistan” in order to bring about a change in Islamabad’s conduct. He emphasized that “war is not an option” and advocated for a more harmonious relationship.
Even as recently as May 2025, during a controversy over an India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement, Chidambaram questioned whether India’s decision was influenced by external pressure, particularly from the United States. He asked whether India’s foreign policy was being dictated from Washington, a remark that was seen as undermining India’s strategic autonomy and feeding into the narrative promoted by Pakistan and its allies.
