Overview
- Speaking at the Navi Mumbai International Airport inauguration on October 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Congress-led UPA stopped Indian forces from striking Pakistan after the 2008 attacks due to pressure from a foreign country and demanded the party identify it.
- P. Chidambaram’s recent interview recounted international appeals not to escalate, including a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and said the government’s decision against a military response was influenced by the Ministry of External Affairs.
- Modi contrasted the UPA-era choice with Operation Sindoor, launched in May after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, calling it evidence of a more forceful approach.
- Opposition figures such as Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi questioned Modi’s ceasefire decision during Operation Sindoor and highlighted President Trump’s claim that he helped stop the fighting, which India maintains was settled through bilateral talks.
- Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi said Chidambaram’s remarks handed the BJP a political issue ahead of the Bihar elections, and there has been no public confirmation identifying the foreign government referenced.