New Delhi, May 10: Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks on Pakistan sparked a row on Friday, with his party quick to dissociate itself from the comments while the BJP latched on to them, accusing the party of being an apologist for Pakistan and the terrorism emanating from its soil.
Aiyar said the video was old and dredged up now as the BJP’s election campaign is faltering.
In comments which have gone viral on social media, Aiyar is heard saying that India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and engage with it as it also possesses an atom bomb.
He indicated in the video that if a “mad person” comes to power there and uses the atom bomb, it will not be good and will have its effect here too.
As the remarks triggered a row, the Congress said it totally disagrees with the remarks made by Aiyar some months ago.
Aiyar does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever, Congress media department chairperson Pawan Khera said on X.
“Indian National Congress dissociates itself completely from and disagrees totally with some remarks made by Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar few months back which have been revived today by the BJP in its attempt to deflect attention from Prime Minister Modi’s daily goof ups. Mr Aiyar does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever,” Khera said.
Uploading a video of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Khera said, “If old videos are to be used, here is a not so old video where the External Affairs Minister is publicly advising India to be afraid of China.”
Seeking to corner the opposition party in the middle of the high-stakes general elections, BJP fielded Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar to attack the Congress. (PTI)
