Rejecting the propaganda promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, former Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram has said that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack may have been local militants, and there is no evidence suggesting they came from Pakistan.
Speaking to The Quint, Chidambaram further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is unwilling to disclose what the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has uncovered during the weeks-long investigation.
He said, “Has the NIA identified the terrorists or discovered where they came from? It is possible they were local militants. Why do you assume they came from Pakistan? There is no evidence for that.”
Chidambaram’s statement has drawn criticism from leaders and supporters of the ruling BJP, as it undermines the narrative used by the Indian government to justify several days of military operations against Pakistan, during which Pakistani civilian areas were targeted.
Senator Sherry Rehman said that Chidambaram’s remarks expose the false narrative of the Indian government regarding the Pahalgam attack.
“There is no evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 civilians. “Why do you assume they came from Pakistan?”,
Former Home Minister of India P. Chidambaram
Modi govt’s propaganda is falling apart when even a former Home Minister like P.… pic.twitter.com/RbMgZOxnrC
— Tejasswi Prakash (@Tiju0Prakash) July 27, 2025
She said India should reflect on its internal issues and security failures. No evidence has ever been presented to prove Pakistan’s involvement, and New Delhi has repeatedly been reminded of Islamabad’s requests to provide such proof.
It is worth noting that the attack in Pahalgam, a tourist area in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in April 2025, claimed 26 lives, following which India launched “Operation Sandur” against Pakistan.
Following Chidambaram’s remarks, India’s ruling BJP has continued to criticize the Congress party. Several BJP leaders have described his statement as tantamount to giving Pakistan a clean chit in the Pahalgam incident.
