‘They came from Pakistan, we have proof’: Amit Shah slams Chidambaram over Pahalgam terror attack

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 29 delivered a sharp rebuttal in Parliament to Congress leader P Chidambaram’s remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack, asserting that the three terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev were Pakistani nationals — with irrefutable proof to back the claim.

Addressing the Lok Sabha during a discussion on Operation Sindoor, Shah said two of the slain terrorists were carrying Pakistani voter identity cards and that even the chocolates found on their bodies were made in Pakistan. “We have conclusive evidence. What more is needed?” Shah asked, as he accused the Congress of running interference for Pakistan.

“These were the same terrorists who attacked in Pahalgam on April 22. Their Pakistani voter numbers have been traced. Yet Chidambaram questions their origin? Whom is he trying to defend?” Shah said.

Referring directly to the former Home Minister’s recent media remarks — where Chidambaram said the attackers may have been “homegrown” and demanded evidence of Pakistani involvement — Shah launched a scathing political attack:

“Is Mr Chidambaram trying to protect Pakistan? What will he gain by giving them a clean chit? If these terrorists were not from Pakistan, then why would he raise such a question when proof is before the nation?”

The Home Minister also took exception to Chidambaram’s questioning of India’s counter-terror operations. “The people of this country are watching this conspiracy to defend Pakistan unfold on the floor of Parliament,” Shah said, accusing the Congress of undermining national security for political gains.

Chidambaram, under fire for his comments, later clarified via a social media post that his remarks were being “deliberately distorted.” He accused critics of selectively clipping and muting parts of his interview to push “a misinformation campaign.”

“The worst kind of troll is one who mutes words from a full interview, lifts two sentences, and paints the speaker as anti-national,” the senior Congress leader wrote on X.

The fierce political exchange comes a day after the Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police concluded Operation Mahadev, eliminating three terrorists believed to be responsible for the Pahalgam bus attack that claimed the lives of security personnel and civilians.

With tensions flaring both on the ground and in Parliament, the incident has rekindled the debate over the politicization of counter-terror efforts.