Chidambaram Admits India Considered Military Retaliation After 26/11, Dropped Plan Amid Global Pressure

Former Home Minister P. Chidambaram has admitted that India considered military retaliation against Pakistan following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, but decided against it under international pressure, particularly from the United States, and on the advice of senior diplomats.

Speaking to a Hindi news channel, Chidambaram said, “The whole world descended on Delhi to tell us ‘don’t start a war’. Two or three days after I took over, Condoleezza Rice (then U.S. Secretary of State) met me and the Prime Minister… to say ‘please don’t react’. An act of retribution did cross my mind.”

Chidambaram added that then-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh discussed possible military action “even when the attack was going on”, but the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Foreign Service persuaded the government not to proceed.

The 26/11 Mumbai attacks, carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, left 175 people dead in a series of coordinated strikes.

BJP’s Counterattack

Chidambaram’s remarks triggered a sharp response from the ruling BJP, which accused the Congress of weakness in the face of terror.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi posted a clip from the interview on X, saying:
“After 17 years, Chidambaram admits what the nation knew – 26/11 was mishandled due to pressure from foreign powers. Too little, too late.”

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala escalated the attack by questioning the role of then-Congress chief Sonia Gandhi:
“Why was the UPA taking orders from her? Why did she prevail over the Home Minister? What about other Pak-related decisions taken under UPA?”

Context of Current Debate

The row comes against the backdrop of recent controversies over Operation Sindoor, India’s 2025 military response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The BJP has insisted the May 10 ceasefire was negotiated bilaterally between Indian and Pakistani military officials. However, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed he directly intervened to end the fighting, a statement Delhi has repeatedly rejected.

Operation Sindoor saw India carry out precision air strikes on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoK, sparking missile and drone exchanges – the first direct conflict since the 1971 war.