Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the past positions of India.
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00:00I'm joined by P. Chidambaram, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabah joins me.
00:04Appreciate your joining us there, Mr. Chidambaram.
00:07You heard Prime Minister Modi, and I'll play more sound bites of him to get you to react.
00:12But your first reactions to the Prime Minister's address to the nation, Mr. Chidambaram.
00:17Has a new red line been drawn by Mr. Modi when it comes to tackling terror?
00:23He has emphasised past positions of India.
00:30He has said it in clear terms.
00:33So to that extent, there is no disagreement.
00:39Terror and talks cannot go together.
00:44Blood and water cannot flow together.
00:48We will respond to any terror threat or terrorist act.
00:55These are well-known positions.
00:57And I'm happy that the Prime Minister has reiterated them in very strong language.
01:04But, sir, it is, you know, you're saying the Prime Minister is following a path that is known to, that has also been enunciated in the past.
01:15Terror and talks don't go together, for example.
01:17But the truth of the matter is, this is a Prime Minister under whose government now armed forces, first in Balakot, earlier in the surgical strikes,
01:25and now in Operation Sindhu have gone deeper and deeper into Pakistan, this time striking at Bawalpur and Mureetke, the terror hubs.
01:34The UPA years, by and large, were marked by what many believe was strategic restraint.
01:38To that extent, this is setting a new precedent.
01:41Well, you've heard the generals, at the time of the Uri response, you've heard the generals give the dates and the occasions on which Indian Army entered Pakistani territory and engaged their adversaries.
02:07I think there are seven or eight dates, which was all published at that time, and you can refer back to the past record.
02:18This is after Uri.
02:21Balakot was different.
02:24Balakot was a singular strike on an alleged terror base.
02:33We'll accept the government's version of that.
02:37I have no quarrel with that.
02:39We accept that version.
02:41Balakot was a solitary instance of an Indian aircraft entering Pakistani airspace and attacking a terror base.
02:53But otherwise, when full-scale wars erupted between India and Pakistan, India has done whatever was possible at that time.
03:091947, 1965, 1971, given the state of equipment and the state of readiness, whatever was possible was done.
03:22We are talking about 50 years later.
03:2650 years later, neither technology nor capacity remains static.
03:34Capacity is increased.
03:36Sir, with due regard, I'm contrasting the approach after 2008 Mumbai, that Hina's 26-11 attack.
03:41You became home minister soon after, and what we've seen after Pahlgaam, the fact that then there was strategic restraint, unwillingness to cross the LOC.
03:53Now you've got air power being used to strike Pakistani terror bases.
03:58I'm glad you remembered that in 2008, I became home minister after the attack, after the conclusion of the attack, and after every terrorist except Kassab had been eliminated in Mumbai.
04:16Kassab was captured.
04:17So this question has been asked earlier of the prime minister, then prime minister, then defense minister, then foreign affairs minister.
04:29They answered, if I remember right, they answered that strategic restraint was the modus operandi that was decided upon.
04:43So I can't really add to that.
04:46But do you support what Mr. Modi has done in contrast to, do you believe this is a better approach to send a stronger message to Pakistan?
05:01This is a deterrent approach.
05:04It has greater deterrence, and I hope it will have greater deterrence.
05:10Does it carry greater risks as well?
05:12Of course, if the deterrent response naturally carries a greater risk, I think both go together.
05:27But then that risk has to be taken.
05:30If you want to have a deterrent response, you must be willing to take greater risks.
05:37Let's just hear, once again, another piece of what Prime Minister Modi said, and I want you to respond to that, Mr. Chidamram.
05:44Listen in to what Prime Minister Modi said in that speech again.
05:47Let's see, it's not all about it.
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06:38ुशने हमला बोला तो आतंकी संग्ठों की इमारते नहीं बलकी उनका होसला भी थर्रा गया
06:52बहावलपूर और मुरित के जैसे आतंकी ठिकाने एक प्रकार से ग्लोबल टेररिजम की युनिवर्सिटी रही है
07:10दुनिया में कहीं पर भी जो बड़े आतंकी हमले हुए हैं चाहे 9-11 हो चाहे लंदन ट्यूब बॉम्बिंग हो
07:27या भारत में दसकों से जो बड़े बड़े आतंकी हमले हुए हैं
07:35उन सब के तार कहीं न कहीं आतंके इहनी ठिकानों से जुड़ते रहे हैं
07:44You heard the Prime Minister there again Mr. Chitamdam. The big question is
07:50strategic restraint of the UPA years could not deter Pakistan-based terror.
07:55Will this new kinetic approach of striking Pakistan in the heart of that country, in your view, act as a more effective deterrent?
08:05I hope so. How can I predict the future?
08:09I hope it will be a more effective deterrent.
08:14And do you believe that the opposition will continue to fully support the government on the issue?
08:19Or will the opposition now raise questions particularly given the kind of comments that Donald Trump has made
08:25which suggests that he wants to play some kind of a greater role in the region?
08:31Donald Trump's role is a mystery.
08:35And the government has not clarified President Trump's role.
08:40So those are questions which will be raised separately.
08:44That has nothing to do with the opposition on the Congress Party supporting the government's deterrent action.
08:53Let's not mix up the two.
08:55Now, Prime Minister mentioned nuclear blackmail.
08:59Now, the raises questions.
09:02Was there a nuclear blackmail when Vice President J.D. Vance hinted at alarming intelligence?
09:11And he spoke to the Prime Minister of India and said, I have alarming intelligence.
09:18That's what the media reported.
09:21Was he referring to a nuclear threat?
09:24So those are questions which will be legitimately raised.
09:28But those are legitimate questions which has to be answered sooner than later.
09:35But that has nothing to do with the opposition supporting the government's firm action,
09:41which will have, hopefully, effective and considerable deterrent effect on Pakistan.
09:50Mr. Pichid Amram, for explaining where you stand, I appreciate you joining us here on the show tonight.
09:57Thank you so much.
09:59Pichid Amram, former Home Minister of the country,
10:02suggesting that the opposition will support this deterrent strategy,
10:06the kinetic strategy that the Modi government has adopted towards Pakistan and Pakistan-based terror.
10:12Pichid Amram, former Home Minister of the country,