New Delhi: Accused of undermining national security and giving a "clean chit to Pakistan" by the ruling BJP, veteran Congress leader P. Chidambaram has launched a strong defence, asserting that his recent comments on "Operation Sindoor" and the Pahalgam terror attack have been deliberately misrepresented by "trolls" and taken out of context.

The controversy erupted following an interview with The Quint, where Chidambaram raised pointed questions regarding the April 22 Pahalgam incident that claimed 26 lives. Among his most debated remarks was his challenge to the government's assertion that the attackers originated from Pakistan. "Why do you assume that they came from Pakistan? There's no evidence of that," Chidambaram stated, suggesting that the possibility of "homegrown terrorists" should not be dismissed without concrete proof.

He further criticised the government for what he perceived as a lack of transparency regarding the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) progress in the case. Chidambaram also accused the administration of "hiding the losses" incurred by India during Operation Sindoor, arguing that acknowledging casualties is an essential aspect of warfare.

The BJP swiftly condemned Chidambaram's statements, igniting a political firestorm and accusing the Congress of weakening India's stance on terrorism.

However, Chidambaram was quick to take to X (formerly Twitter) to push back against the criticisms. In a series of tweets, he voiced his frustration, stating, "Trolls are of different kinds and use different tools to spread misinformation. The worst kind is a troll who suppresses the full recorded interview, takes two sentences, mutes some words, and paints the speaker in a black colour!"

He urged the public to watch the entire interview on The Quint to grasp the complete context of his remarks. Chidambaram also affirmed that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, the opposition alliance, is committed to raising these critical questions and more during the upcoming parliamentary debates in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The ongoing verbal sparring underscores the deep political chasm on matters of national security and is expected to intensify as the I.N.D.I.A. bloc prepares to scrutinise the government's handling of Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam attack in the upcoming legislative sessions.