Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], October 4 (ANI): BJP MP Sambit Patra on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and P Chidambaram over their handling of India's response to Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

'It was Sonia Gandhi's dictation that don't act against Pakistan. She made India bow down and gave shelter to Pakistan,' Patra told ANI.

He claimed that Sonia Gandhi dictated the decision not to take action against Pakistan, criticising the Congress party for not taking action against Pakistan, and accusing foreign powers of influencing the party.

Patra alleged that Sonia Gandhi's government would decide cabinet ministers after consulting with America, quoting Natwar Singh's autobiography.

'Natwar Singh wrote in his autobiography that the Sonia Gandhi government used to decide the Indian Cabinet Ministers after consulting America... She believes 'saugandh mujhe us videsh ki, main desh nahi uthne dungi'...,' added Patra.

Patra questioned P Chidambaram's recent statement about foreign pressure behind India's lack of retaliation against Pakistan after 26/11 attacks, suggesting that Chidambaram himself was part of the decision-making process under Sonia Gandhi's leadership.

'Only because the 'whole world descended on Delhi', the Congress party decided not to take any action against Pakistan. This was the India of that time, under the reign of the Gandhi family... This decision must have been taken by Sonia Gandhi unlawfully and unconstitutionally, and she must have dictated to Manmohan Singh and then Home Minister Chidambaram...,' Patra told ANI.

The 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, carried out by Pakistani-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed over 170 lives and left the nation in shock.

Chidambaram's revelation has sparked fresh political debate, with critics questioning the Congress leadership's past decisions.

Speaking on an ABP News Podcast, Chidambaram recounted the decision-making process within the government and how international diplomatic pressure, particularly from the United States, shaped India's stance.

Chidambaram recalled that he took charge as Home Minister on November 30, 2008, a day after the attacks and immediately following the resignation of Shivraj Patil.

'I became Home Minister the day after the attack. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, called me to shift me from Finance to the Home Ministry. When I initially refused, I was told that Mrs. Gandhi (Sonia Gandhi), who was Congress president at the time, had already made a decision. I asked if I could speak with her, but was told she was out of town. I was instructed to take charge the next morning,' Chidambaram said on the Inside Out podcast.

He further revealed that he was reluctant to leave the Finance Ministry. 'I told them that I am happy to complete my term as the Finance Minister. I have presented five budgets, and the elections were supposed to be held in April 2009. But I was told no, and the PM informed me that the party will have to move ahead with the decision. I told them that I will move, but reluctantly,' he added.

Admitting his lack of familiarity with India's security infrastructure at that time, Chidambaram said, 'I went in blank,' adding that he was unaware of the intelligence assets available in Pakistan and neighbouring regions.

Later, P Chidambaram on Wednesday expressed frustration over being misquoted by the media regarding his comments on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

In the podcast with a TV network, Chidambaram discussed the decision-making process of the Manmohan Singh-led government's stance on retaliating against Pakistan after the attacks. However, he claimed that his words were twisted, and media outlets attributed a statement to him that he never made - 'US stopped us from retaliating after the 26/11 attack.'

'In no part of the interview to Megha Prasad's podcast did I say that 'US stopped us from retaliating after the 26/11 attack. Yet, channel after channel and the media and the Twitterati are merrily attributing words to me. These are the perils of talking to the media!' wrote Chidambaram. (ANI)