US asked India not to start war against Pakistan after 26/11: Chidambaram's admission embarrasses Congress; BJP reacts

"The whole world descended upon Delhi to tell us that 'don't start a war," the Congress veteran said. 

"Condoleezza Rice, who was the then Secretary of State, flew in two or three days after I took over to meet me and the Prime Minister (then, Dr Manmohan Singh) ... to say 'please don't react'. I said this is a decision which the government will take... it did cross my mind that we should do some act of retribution. 

 

"I did discuss it with the Prime Minister and other people who mattered. Apparently, the Prime Minister had discussed this even when the attack was going on... and the conclusion was, largely influenced by the MEA and the IFS, that we should not physically react to the situation," he added, speaking to the publication.

 

Chidambaram's admission has armed the country's now ruling party BJP, which came under severe criticism from the Opposition after Operation Sindoor was stopped on May 10, 2025. 

 

Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces to bust the terrorist hideouts in PoK and beyond in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. 

The BJP had come under Congress' ire after US President Donald Trump first announced the India-Pakistan ceasefire on social media. 

 

Later, Trump claimed he was the broker of the ceasefire deal between India and Pakistan and he used trade as an incentive to stop the military escalation. 

 

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has denied any global intervention. 

 

Overview of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack

• Date: 26 November 2008 – 29 November 2008

• Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

• Attackers: 10 armed terrorists belonging to the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

• Targets:

  • Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

  • Oberoi Trident Hotel

  • CST (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) railway station

  • Nariman (Chabad) House

  • Leopold Café

  • Several other locations across Mumbai

• Casualties:

• Over 170 people killed (including civilians, security personnel, and foreigners)

• More than 300 injured

• Duration: The siege lasted for about 60 hours until Indian security forces neutralized the terrorists.

• Response:

• Indian National Security Guard (NSG), Marine Commandos (MARCOS), and Mumbai Police carried out rescue and counter-terrorism operations.

• Nine terrorists were killed during the operations, and one, Ajmal Kasab, was captured alive.

• Aftermath:

• Kasab’s trial became highly publicized; he was convicted and executed in 2012.

• The attack strained India–Pakistan relations further.

• It led to major reforms in India’s coastal security, counter-terrorism strategies, and intelligence coordination.