A storm has erupted in national politics after senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram suggested in a recent interview that the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack on April 22 might be “homegrown” and not necessarily from Pakistan. The remark has triggered sharp reactions from the ruling BJP, which has accused the Congress of once again “shielding India’s enemies.”

Chidambaram, during an interview with a media outlet, raised questions over the investigation’s findings and challenged assumptions about Pakistan's involvement. He stated, “Have they identified the terrorists or where they came from? For all we know, they could be homegrown terrorists. Why do you assume they came from Pakistan? There is no evidence of that.”

The BJP, led by its IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, launched a scathing attack on the Congress veteran, accusing him of providing a "clean chit" to Pakistan. Malviya posted a clip of the interview on X (formerly Twitter), calling Chidambaram the “original proponent of the infamous ‘Saffron Terror’ theory,” and accused him of “sounding like Islamabad’s defence lawyer.”

“Every time our forces confront Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Congress leaders come to Pakistan's defence. With Chidambaram’s latest remark, the party once again displays its habitual weakness when it comes to national security,” Malviya said.

The BJP has alleged that such statements weaken India’s diplomatic and military stand, especially at a time when tensions are high and debates over Operation Sindoor, India’s cross-border military action targeting terror hubs in Pakistan and PoK, are dominating Parliament.

Facing backlash, Chidambaram issued a clarification, accusing political opponents and online trolls of misrepresenting his words by selectively quoting and muting parts of the original interview.

“The worst kind is a troll who suppresses the full recorded interview, takes two sentences, mutes some words, and paints the speaker in black colour,” he posted on X.