An interview clip of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar in which he is heard praising Pakistan has become the latest headache for the Congress, with the BJP targetting the party saying this is part of the "ideology" of the Congress.
In an interview on the YouTube channel Chill Pill, the Congress leader called Pakistan a sovereign country and "a respected nation."
“You can talk tough with them (Pakistan). But start the dialogue. You are walking with a gun which yielded you nothing. Tensions are escalating. And if a mad person comes there, what will happen to the country? They have an atom bomb. We also possess the atomic bomb. But if an insane person detonates a bomb at Lahore station, within eight seconds, its radioactivity will reach Amritsar,” he had said.
He claimed that if India started respecting Pakistan, they would not think about detonating a bomb.
The Congress leader had also taken a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying "We need to understand that to become 'Vishwaguru' (global leader), it is important to show that we are working to solve the issues with Pakistan. There has been no effort (on the part of the government) to in this regard in the past 10 years.”
Sharing a clip of the interview on X, BJP leader and Union minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar said the ideology of the Congress is fully visible in these elections. "Support to and from Pakistan including offering to give up Siachen. Dividing people, Lies, Abuse and fake guarantees to mislead poor and vulnerable."
"Congress party has become an apologist for Pakistan and Pakistan-based terror. Today again there will be an attempt from Congress to distance themselves from Mani Shankar Aiyar," he said in a press conference
The Union minister said Aiyar is doing PR of Pakistan. "He is suggesting that India should be frightened of Pakistan and respect Pakistan. This is new Bharat. It will not be scared away by anyone."
He claimed that Rahul Gandhi has become an apologist for the terrorism of Pakistan.
Congress distances itself from comments
In their first reaction to the remarks by Aiyar, the Congress said whatever he said was his personal opinion. "Mani Shankar Aiyar does not hold an official position. So, whatever he says is his personal opinion. Congress has no such stand. Congress is not speaking anything on it," party leader Udit Raj said, reported ANI.
Aiyar clarifies
Aiyar, on Friday, said a video of his comments on Pakistan being circulated is old and being dredged up because the BJP's Lok Sabha campaign is faltering.
"It is obvious from the sweater I am wearing that my comments to Chill Pill were made in the winter several months ago. They have been dredged up now as the BJP's election campaign falters. I refuse to play their game," the Congress leader said in a statement.
"Interested persons may please read the relevant passages in my two books released by Juggernaut last year, "Memoirs of a Maverick" and "The Rajiv I Knew"..," he said.
