P Chidambaram (left), Pralhad Joshi (ANI)

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party launched a sharp attack on former Union home minister P Chidambaram over his recent remarks on the UPA government’s decision not to retaliate militarily against Pakistan following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, accusing the Congress of “mishandling” the situation under foreign pressure.Reacting to Chidambaram’s statements made during an interview, union minister Pralhad Joshi posted on X, “After 17 years, Chidambaram, former home minister, admits what the nation knew – 26/11 was mishandled due to pressure from foreign powers. Too little, too late.”In the interview, Chidambaram said that the idea of retaliation “did cross [his] mind”, but the government eventually decided against military action. He said this decision was influenced largely by the ministry of external affairs and senior diplomats. “The whole world descended upon Delhi to tell us ‘don’t start a war’. Condoleezza Rice, who was then US secretary of state, flew in two or three days after I took over… to say, ‘please don’t react’,” he said.Chidambaram, who took over as home minister just days after the attack, also acknowledged that he discussed possible retributive steps with the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other key figures. “The Prime Minister had discussed this even when the attack was going on… And the conclusion was, largely influenced by the ministry of external affairs and the IFS, that we should not physically react to the situation,” he recalled.The remarks have sparked a political row, with BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioning whether then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had overruled Chidambaram’s personal view in favour of retaliation.Posting on X, he wrote, “Why was UPA taking orders from [Condoleezza Rice]? Why did Sonia Gandhi prevail over the Home Minister?” he asked.Poonawalla further accused the Congress of giving Pakistan a “clean chit” not only on the 26/11 attacks but also in the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing case. He alleged that the UPA government advanced a “Hindu terror” narrative and granted Pakistan ‘most favoured nation’ (MFN) status despite repeated cross-border terror incidents.He added, “Congress gave clean chit to Pak on 26/11 and Samjhauta & induced Hindu Terror angles. Today too they doubt Surgical Strike, Balakote and Operation Sindoor.”On November 26, 2008, ten heavily armed Pakistani terrorists carried out coordinated attacks across Mumbai, killing over 166 people and injuring hundreds. One attacker, Ajmal Kasab, was captured alive and later executed in 2012.