A major political controversy has erupted following senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram’s reiteration of his “home-grown terrorists” remarks in the wake of the deadly car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort. The statement has drawn swift and furious condemnation from leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who have accused the Congress veteran of supporting and seeking to justify the actions of terrorists.
Chidambaram’s Stance and Call for Introspection
Two days after the November 10 blast that killed at least 10 people and injured more than 20, Chidambaram took to X (formerly Twitter) to classify the threat, reviving a position he had previously taken following the Pahalgam terror attack and during the subsequent debate on Operation Sindoor in Parliament.
“I have maintained before and after the Pahalgam terror attack that there are two kinds of terrorists — foreign-trained infiltrated terrorists and home-grown terrorists.”
He noted that he was “mocked and trolled” for this reference in Parliament but suggested that the government’s subsequent “discreet silence” indicated their knowledge of the domestic threat.
Chidambaram stated that the revelation that the Delhi blast involved highly-educated Indian citizens—including doctors linked to a terror module—should provoke a national conversation. He asserted that the key question should be: “we should ask ourselves what are the circumstances that turn Indian citizens — even educated persons — into terrorists.”
The BJP’s Sharp Retaliation
BJP leaders across the board lambasted Chidambaram, accusing the Congress party of politicizing a national security crisis and attempting to deflect blame from cross-border forces.
- Union Minister Giriraj Singh launched a scathing attack, accusing Chidambaram of “supporting terrorists” and saying he had “crossed all the limits.” Singh also linked the Congress’s history of “appeasement politics” to the nation’s ongoing terrorism issues.
- BJP National Spokesperson Nalin Kohli criticized the attempt to “build a political narrative” around the incident, arguing that attempts to “paint a victimhood on terrorists” do an injustice to those who have suffered from terror. Kohli maintained that there are only two sides in the fight against terrorism: those who are with it and those who are against it.
- BJP Leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi called Chidambaram’s statement “unfortunate” and “non-serious,” questioning how long former high-ranking officials would act as “sponsored spokespersons” when the nation should speak in one voice on national security.
- BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal questioned why Chidambaram did not raise these issues during his tenure as Union Home Minister and stressed that a terrorist has “no religion or nationality.”
- BJP National Spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill accused the Congress of having a “compulsion to defame India and the Indian Army,” and alleged the party was defending Pakistan by questioning the origin of the terrorists.
Other Reactions and Congress Defense
JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar echoed the sentiment that a terrorist is simply a terrorist, regardless of their origin or religion, and questioned the “logic” of suggesting “circumstantial terrorism” could justify such inhuman acts.
In defense of his senior colleague, Congress leader Bhai Jagtap stated that Chidambaram speaks responsibly, and if he is pointing to the existence of “home-grown terrorists,” it is a “serious matter” that the government must thoroughly investigate. Jagtap argued that the government should find out why such incidents occur and inform the public, adding that a failure to address the issue would be a failure of the government.