Former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has revealed that the UPA government deliberately refrained from taking military action against Pakistan following the devastating 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, citing intense international pressure and the stance of the Ministry of External Affairs.

In a candid interview, Chidambaram admitted that thoughts of retribution crossed his mind, but the government decided against retaliation. “The whole world descended upon Delhi to tell us 'don’t start a war',” he said, recalling how then-US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited India shortly after the attacks to advise restraint.

Chidambaram, who assumed office as Home Minister days after the coordinated attacks that claimed 175 lives, said he consulted the Prime Minister and other key officials. “The Prime Minister had discussed this even when the attack was going on… The conclusion, largely influenced by the Ministry of External Affairs and the IFS, was that we should not physically react,” he explained.

The attacks on November 26, 2008, carried out by ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, targeted the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Oberoi Trident, Taj Mahal Palace, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, and Nariman House. One attacker, Ajmal Kasab, was captured and later executed in 2012.

Chidambaram’s revelation immediately drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi stated that the admission confirmed the country’s knowledge that the Mumbai attacks had been “mishandled under foreign pressure.” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Chidambaram initially wanted military action but was overruled, suggesting influence from senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“Why was the UPA taking orders from Condoleezza Rice? Why did Sonia Gandhi prevail over the Home Minister?” Poonawalla demanded, accusing the UPA government of compromising India’s security interests in the wake of one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country’s history.