Why assume that they came from Pakistan: Chidambaram's remark on Pahalgam attackers sparks row
New Delhi: A political storm has erupted after senior Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram questioned the Union government’s narrative surrounding the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor.
In an interview with The Quint, Chidambaram questioned the assumption that the attackers were from Pakistan, arguing that the government has not shared sufficient information to support that claim. He suggested that the assailants could be homegrown, questioning the lack of evidence linking them to Pakistan.
"Have they identified the terrorists? Where they came from? I mean, for all we know, they could be homegrown terrorists. Why do you assume that they came from Pakistan? There's no evidence of that," he had said in the interview.
Highlighting the scattered nature of updates, Chidambaram pointed out that key information was being shared by different officers in various locations, rather than through a comprehensive statement from senior government officials like the Prime Minister or the Defence Minister.
Meanwhile, the saffron party has reacted sharply to his comments, accusing the Congress of undermining national security and echoing Pakistan’s narrative. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya posted on X, “Once again, the Congress rushes to give a clean chit to Pakistan, this time after the Pahalgam terror attack. Why is it that every time our forces confront Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Congress leaders sound more like Islamabad's defence lawyers than India's opposition?"
However, Chidambaram referred to the criticism as a "deliberate misinformation campaign" and mentioned that his comments were being misrepresented by selectively muting and clipping portions of his interview. “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 wrote on X.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
