Congress leader and former Union minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attributing remarks to him about India’s response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Chidambaram called the statement “terribly wrong” and rejected all three parts of the reported comments, expressing dismay that the prime minister would attribute fabricated words to him.

“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 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 said in a post on X

Chidambaram’s comments came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, without directly naming him, mentioned a recent interview in which the senior Congress leader discussed the UPA government’s response to Pakistan after the 26/11 attacks.

PM Modi Questions Congress on ‘Foreign Pressure’ After Terror Strikes

While addressing an event on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the Congress party to reveal who, influenced by foreign powers, made the decision to stop military operations against Pakistan following the terrorist attacks.

“Mumbai is not only the economic capital city but also one of the most vibrant cities in India. This is the reason terrorists attacked Mumbai in 2008. But the then Congress government gave a message of weakness. Recently, a senior Congress leader and former Home Minister has revealed that after the Mumbai attacks, our security forces were ready to attack Pakistan, but due to pressure from another country, the Congress government at the time stopped our security forces. Congress needs to tell who made the decision under pressure from a foreign power. The country has all right to know,” PM Modi said.

Chidambaram Reveals UPA’s Decision-Making During the 26/11 Mumbai Attacks

In a podcast released on October 1, Chidambaram discussed how the UPA government handled its response following the attacks. He explained that the decision to show restraint was heavily influenced by international pressure. 

“The conclusion was reached amid pressure from the world that was descending upon Delhi to tell us — don’t start a war,” he said.