Chidambaram criticises PM Modi, says PM 'didn't read his answer properly'

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not go through his statement on Jammu and Kashmir wholly and said he was imagining a ghost and attacking it.

"It is obvious the PM has not read the whole answer to the question put to me on Jammu and Kashmir. Those who criticise must read the whole answer and tell me which word in the answer was wrong. The PM is imagining a ghost and attacking it," Chidambaram told ANI.

The former finance minister also clarified that neither his party nor he criticised the 'surgical strike' through his statement on Kashmir.

"Neither the Congress nor I criticised the 'surgical strike'. We pointed out that these were cross-border actions and such actions had been done in the past too, as admitted by the Army Chief," he said.

Chidambaram has drawn flak from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his statement that people in Kashmir who demand 'azaadi' actually seek autonomy for the state.

"My interactions in Jammu and Kashmir led me to the conclusion that when they ask for azaadi, most people want autonomy," Chidambaram had said.

The prime minister, while addressing a gathering in Bengaluru on Sunday, came down heavily upon Chidambaram and said his remark shows how the party feels on surgical strikes and bravery of our Army.

"Yesterday's statement of a Congress leader (P. Chidambaram) on Kashmir clearly shows how the party feels on surgical strikes and bravery of our Army," Modi said.

The prime minister also said Chidambaram's remarks were reflective of his party's view on the army.

"Why are Congress leaders lending their voice to those who want 'Azaadi' in Kashmir? This is an insult to our brave soldiers," he said.