'Has given a clean chit to Pakistan': Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticises P Chidambaram for his remarks on Pahalgam attack

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday criticised former Home Minister P Chidambaram's remarks on Operation Sindoor, a military action taken by India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Joshi accused Chidambaram of giving a "clean chit" to Pakistan, suggesting that Chidambaram's comments could embolden Pakistan's stance on terrorism.

"P Chidambaram, who was the former Home Minister, has given a clean chit to Pakistan. The same people, when they were in power, used to say that there is no hand of Pakistan. The former Home Minister and former Finance Minister should realise that such statements embolden Pakistan's stand," said Joshi.


On April 22, terrorists attacked a group of tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 people. India launched Operation Sindoor in response, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Chidambaram questioned the government's narrative on the attack, suggesting that the terrorists could be "homegrown" and asking for evidence to prove they came from Pakistan. He also criticised the government for not disclosing details about Operation Sindoor.

In a July 27 interview with the Quint news outlet, Chidambaram raised questions on 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?" Chidambaram asked.

Further, the Congress leader who served as the Home Minister in the UPA tenure said, the Government was "unwilling to disclose what the NIA has done all these weeks. Have they identified the terrorists, and where did they come 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."