Why do You Assume Terrorists Are from Pak?

In a July 27 interview with The Quint, Chidambaram raised questions about whether the government had taken any follow-up steps to prevent another Pahalgam.

"Where are the terrorist attackers? Why have you not apprehended them? Why have you not even identified them? Suddenly a news item emerges that we have arrested two or three people who gave them shelter. Now what happened to that?" he asked.

Further, the Congress leader who served as Home Minister during the UPA tenure said the government was "unwilling to disclose what the NIA has done all these weeks." He added, "Have they identified the terrorists, where they came from? I mean, for all we know, they could be homegrown terrorists. Why do you assume that they came from Pakistan? There's no evidence of that. They are also hiding the losses."

The BJP responded sharply to Chidambaram’s remarks. Party spokesperson Amit Malviya accused the Congress of siding with the enemy.

"Why is it that every time our forces confront Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Congress leaders sound more like Islamabad's defence lawyers than India's opposition? When it comes to national security, there should be no ambiguity. But with the Congress, there never is — they always bend over backwards to protect the enemy," Malviya said in a post on X.

Chidambaram also criticised the Prime Minister for not making a comprehensive statement on Operation Sindoor.

"We know it was an intelligence failure. But so was the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 an intelligence failure. When I took over as Home Minister, I visited Mumbai and called the entire press. The first sentence I said was I apologize for the intelligence failure," he said, referencing his role after the 26/11 attacks.

Echoing similar sentiments, Congress MP Imran Masood also demanded answers from the Centre about the whereabouts of the Pahalgam terrorists, saying people have a "right to know" where the attackers went and questioned the security at the borders.

"If the terrorists came from Pakistan, then how are our borders secured? They came, committed the act and left. We will ask if they were airlifted and airdropped, where they came from, and where they went. We have the right to know," Masood told ANI.

Congress leader Manickam Tagore accused the BJP of using diversionary tactics to avoid addressing the "real issue."

"The real issue is the Pahalgam terror attack and the government’s failure to follow through with Operation Sindoor, as well as Mr. Modi's surrender to Trump’s ‘Social Truth.’ We are very clear this is a diversionary tactic by the BJP, and we will not fall into their trap. Congress has been clearly saying that Pakistan must stop the export of terrorism to India. Congress stands with the Forces in the fight against terrorist groups."

He continued, "The question is straight — we want to know where are those terrorists who killed the husbands of our 26 sisters. The government has failed till now, whether intentionally or accidentally. We still do not know who they were, where they came from. The dangerous game being played in Kashmir is not beneficial for the nation."

Meanwhile, Chidambaram added in his interview, "I said it in a column that in a war, losses will occur on both sides. I understand that India would have suffered losses. Therefore, why they are reluctant to admit the losses? Losses are inevitable and natural in a war. So, admit the losses. I think they believe they can put a large shroud on Operation Sindoor. It won't work."

Twenty-six civilians were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. India retaliated with precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).