A political row has erupted ahead of the high-stakes parliamentary debate on 'Operation Sindoor', India’s military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
The controversy was sparked by remarks from former finance minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, who, in an interview with The Quint, questioned the narrative that the attackers came from Pakistan.
“There is no evidence so far that the killers were Pakistani,” Chidambaram said, suggesting that "homegrown terrorists" could have been involved. He also slammed the government’s handling of the investigation, asking why the attackers had not yet been apprehended or identified.
His comments triggered a sharp backlash from the BJP, with the party accusing Congress of undermining national security.
“Once again, the Congress rushes to give a clean chit to Pakistan, this time after the Pahalgam terror attack,” BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya posted on X, sharing a clip from the interview. He further added, “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.”
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has so far arrested two local men from Kashmir and said they disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack.
The terrorists were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the NIA has said, but refused to name them, saying details would be shared "at an appropriate time”.
As Parliament prepares to debate Operation Sindoor, including both the military response and the diplomatic strategy surrounding it, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to open discussions in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Key figures from the government, including Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Nishikant Dubey, are likely to speak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi may also intervene during the debate in both Houses.
The Rajya Sabha is scheduled to take up the matter on Tuesday. The debate follows a turbulent opening week of the monsoon session, marked by frequent disruptions and the sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.