Nagrota attack as shameful as 26/11, says Chidambaram

NEW DELHI: Former home minister P Chidambaram has said the recent Nagrota attack was as “shameful” as the 2008 Mumbai carnage and has “disproved” the belief that surgical strikes can end cross-border terrorism.

Speaking at the launch of former national security adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Menon’s book, “Choices: Inside the making of India’s foreign policy”, Chidambaram said there was no “unified command” at the level of the ministry of home affairs (MHA).

“What happened at Nagrota is just as shameful as what happened in Mumbai. The crossborder, cross-LoC action will not prevent Pakistan-based terrorist groups from attacking Indian installations and camps,” he said on Friday night.

“The strikes restore balance at the border. It sends a signal to Pakistan that if you can do it we can do it. But to imagine that surgical strike will put an end to cross-border action, that has been disproved by what has happened in Nagrota,” he said.

He claimed that there was “no coherence” at the level of MHA and attributed it to discontinuation of a “good practice”.

“I think the practice of having a home minister, home secretary, special secretary, the DIB, the director RAW and NSA meet every day was a good practice. The practice has stopped. That is why there is no coherence, no coordination, no unified command at the level of home affairs,” he said.

Noting that engaging Pakistan is the “only answer” that India has, Chidambaram said the present government started at one extreme and has now swung to another extreme.

About surgical strikes, Chidambaram said the ownership should have been left to the army.

The book launch was also attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

EX-UNION MINISTER SAYS THERE IS NO COHERENCE, NO COORDINATION, NO UNIFIED COMMAND AT THE LEVEL OF MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS