Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah yesterday backtracked on his Saturday statement in Mysuru, where he had said that there was no need to wage war against Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people.

He claimed his remarks had been misrepresented, asserting that India should never tolerate threats to its unity and sovereignty and must go to war if necessary.

“On Saturday in Mysuru, reporters asked me whether war (against Pakistan) is necessary right now. I said war is not needed immediately, but terrorism must be eradicated to ensure the country’s security. India is the land of Buddha and Basavanna — we are peace-loving people who never wage war unnecessarily. But if it becomes inevitable, we must fight, whether against Pakistan or any other nation threatening our unity and sovereignty,” he said at the Government’s ‘Sadhana Samavesha’ in Devanahalli.

Pakistan Ratna: BJP

As his remarks gained traction on Saturday in some Pakistani media outlets, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticised the Congress CM. “The entire world is offering condolences to India. Most countries want India to teach the terrorists a lesson. Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah’s remarks asking not to punish the culprits but to strengthen our security are condemnable,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka called the Chief Minister “Pakistan Ratna”. Claiming that Siddaramaiah had become “world famous in Pakistan due to his childish comments,” the BJP leader said, it might not be surprising if the neighbouring country’s highest civilian award was conferred on him.

“When the country is facing a very sensitive situation, with the threat of war looming over the border, you are acting like a puppet of an enemy nation. People like you in public life are the biggest tragedy of our country,” he said in a post on X.

The JD(S) also attacked Siddaramaiah by sharing a video of a TV channel in Pakistan highlighting Siddaramaiah’s remarks. “Your love for Pakistan is being celebrated even in the Pakistani media,” it said, alleging that the Congress Government’s appeasement politics has prompted it to speak                                               against India.

However, Siddaramaiah later clarified: “India is at a critical juncture. To counter external threats, we must first strengthen internal unity. Pakistan is a crumbling, bankrupt state, weak and desperate. India, on the other hand, is a rising global power. We must act wisely.”