Pakistan ‘Wrongly Blamed’ for Pahalgam Attack, Says Chidambaram

News Desk

New Delhi: Former Indian Home Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram has questioned the Modi government’s claims linking Pakistan to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, asserting that the attackers were Indian nationals who received training within the country.

Speaking to a local news outlet in an interview cited by ANI on Sunday, Chidambaram criticized the government for jumping to conclusions without presenting evidence. “Why does the Indian government assume that the attackers came from Pakistan? Has the government identified them as Pakistanis?” he asked.

Chidambaram, who served as Home Minister under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led administration of withholding key information regarding the April 22 terror incident and the subsequent Indian military operation, dubbed Operation Sindoor. The issue is expected to be a key point of debate in the upcoming parliamentary session.

“Where are the attackers? Why have you not apprehended them? Why have you not even identified them?” Chidambaram questioned. “Suddenly, a news item emerges saying two or three people who gave them shelter have been arrested. What happened after that?”

He further alleged that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had failed to provide clarity on the origin of the attackers or progress made in the investigation. “For all we know, they could be homegrown terrorists. There’s no evidence they came from Pakistan. The government is even hiding details about losses,” he claimed.

The remarks sparked a sharp backlash from BJP leaders, who accused the Congress veteran of giving a “clean chit” to Pakistan in connection with the Pahalgam incident.

Chidambaram also took aim at the Modi government’s silence over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he condemned the ongoing violence, stating: “Dozens of people are being killed in Gaza daily, many of them women and children who have no connection to the conflict.”

Quoting United Nations figures, he said over a thousand Palestinians have died since May while trying to access food, adding, “Look at the images of starving children in refugee camps—it’s clear they are dying of hunger. The world sleeps, and when it wakes up, its conscience is already buried.”

It is worth noting that Pakistan not only condemned the Pahalgam terror attack but also offered full cooperation to India for a transparent and impartial investigation. However, the Modi government declined the offer.