On April 22, 2025, a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed the lives of 26 people, primarily tourists. The attack was initially claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization, though the claim was later withdrawn. Indian intelligence agencies have alleged Pakistan’s support behind the attack, but Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has denied these allegations, demanding evidence for TRF’s claimed responsibility.
Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram questioned the government’s transparency regarding the attack. In an interview with The Quint, Chidambaram stated, “Have the attackers been identified? Where did they come from? They could be local terrorists. Why assume they came from Pakistan? There is no evidence for this.” He also raised concerns about the government’s failure to disclose details of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe and alleged that technical errors in Operation Sindoor were being concealed.These statements sparked a political controversy. BJP leaders, including BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, accused Chidambaram of giving a “clean chit” to Pakistan. Malviya posted on X, “Congress always defends Pakistan.”
However, Chidambaram clarified on X that his remarks were misrepresented, stating, “Some have taken a few sentences from the interview, muted certain words, and portrayed me falsely.”An X post claimed that Pakistan admitted responsibility for the attack, but no evidence supports this in available web sources. Instead, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has demanded proof of TRF’s involvement and clarified that Pakistan does not support terrorists.Congress MP Manickam Tagore called the BJP’s accusations a “diversionary tactic” and affirmed that Congress stands firmly with the Indian armed forces against terrorism.
Congress MP Imran Masood also supported Chidambaram, alleging that the government itself gave Pakistan a clean chit by agreeing to a ceasefire.The accusation that P. Chidambaram gave a “clean chit” to Pakistan appears politically motivated. His statement aimed to question the transparency of the government’s investigation, not to entirely deny Pakistan’s role in the attack. The claim in the X post that Pakistan admitted responsibility lacks any verified evidence.