New Delhi [India], October 1 : Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday expressed frustration over being misquoted by the media regarding his comments on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
In an interview with Megha Prasad's podcast, Chidambaram discussed the decision-making process of the Manmohan Singh-led government's stance on retaliating against Pakistan after the attacks.
However, he claimed that his words were twisted, and media outlets attributed a statement to him that he never made - "US stopped us from retaliating after the 26/11 attack."
In a post on the social media platform X, he clarified that he never made such a statement, yet various media outlets and Twitter accounts continue to attribute these words to him.
"In no part of the interview to Megha Prasad's podcast did I say that 'US stopped us from retaliating after the 26/11 attack. Yet, channel after channel and the media and the Twitterati are merrily attributing words to me. These are the perils of talking to the media!" wrote Chidambaram.
Speaking on an ABP News Podcast, Chidambaram recounted the decision-making process within the government and how international diplomatic pressure, particularly from the United States, shaped India's stance.
Chidambaram recalled that he took charge as Home Minister on November 30, 2008, a day after the attacks and immediately following the resignation of Shivraj Patil."I became Home Minister the day after the attack. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, called me to shift me from Finance to the Home Ministry. When I initially refused, I was told that Mrs. Gandhi (Sonia Gandhi), who was Congress president at the time, had already made a decision. I asked if I could speak with her, but was told she was out of town. I was instructed to take charge the next morning," Chidambaram said on the Inside Out podcast.
He further revealed that he was reluctant to leave the Finance Ministry. "I told them that I am happy to complete my term as the Finance Minister. I have presented five budgets, and the elections were supposed to be held in April 2009. But I was told no, and the PM informed me that the party will have to move ahead with the decision. I told them that I will move, but reluctantly," he added.
Admitting his lack of familiarity with India's security infrastructure at that time, Chidambaram said, "I went in blank," adding that he was unaware of the intelligence assets available in Pakistan and neighbouring regions.
The former Union Home Minister also acknowledged that the thought of retaliation had crossed his mind. "It did cross my mind that we should do some act of retribution. I did discuss it with the Prime Minister and other people who mattered. The PM had discussed this matter when the attack was going on, I can surmise. And the conclusion was largely influenced by the MEA and the IFS that we should not physically react to the situation, but we should employ diplomatic means," he stated.
The Congress veteran explained that the decision to exercise restraint came under significant global pressure. "The conclusion was reached amid pressure from the world that was descending upon Delhi to tell us that don't start a war," he said.
He specifically mentioned that then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had travelled to New Delhi to meet him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging India not to retaliate militarily.
Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Wednesday sharply reacted to former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's recent disclosure regarding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, questioning the timing and intent behind his remarks.
Responding to the former Home Minister's statement, Rashid Alvi said, "Why did Chidambaram remain silent for 15 to 18 years? If he was so dissatisfied, he should have resigned at that time itself. What is the compulsion of making such statements now? Does he want to weaken Rahul Gandhi's hand?"
Earlier, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasa labelled the UPA government, led by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as a "weak government" following revelations of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram that India had considered military retaliation after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks but chose not to do so.
Speaking to ANI, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Home Minister in Dr. Manmohan Singh's government, P. Chidambaram has now admitted, after 16 years, that after the brutal 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, he was in favour of taking action against Pakistan, but the External Affairs department at that time stopped him, and Manmohan Singh remained silent. What a weak government it was; Indians were killed."