NEW DELHI: Mani Shankar Aiyar, the Congress leader has ignited a new debate by claiming India should ‘respect’ Pakistan that possess atomic bomb. The Bharatiya Janata Party castigated the congress and stated that its love to neighbouring nations never ends.
While being interviewed in “Chill Pill” on April 15th, he said Pakistan is one respected country with atomic bombs so India must talk to them.
Shehzad Poonawalla, bjp Spokesperson on this matter noted that Aiyar who is close to the Congress party’s “first family” was acting muscle flexing and this was an embodiment of Pakistan’s might and power by the Congress party.
Poonawalla said in the homemade video clip: “The Congress party’s ‘Prime Minister of Pakistan’ does not seem to be stopping. Mani Shankar Aiyar, who is close to the ‘First Family’, flexed Pakistan’s muscle and power on behalf of the Congress party. He said Pakistan should be respected, Negotiations should be respected.Constantly pleading for mercy on international platforms… Look at the Congress list – how they got Pakistan’s support for the first time and gave a clean bill to Kasab on 26/11, instead of saying “Indian Administered Kashmir” when referring to “Indian Administered Kashmir.” Now it is “Congress Khajas” This is another example”.
This was completely visible in these elections,” Union minister Rajiv Chandrasekhar who is contesting against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram seat added.
“Support from Pakistan including offers to abandon Siachen. Support from domestic terror-linked groups and the likes of SDPI and Yasin Malik. Rampant corruption and looting of poor people.Racism , division @Clueless.’s Cong series starring Manishankar Iyer,” he posted on X.
Ravi Kishan, Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha candidate remarked that this is not Congress Party’s India but Prime Minister Modi’s India.
“Pakistan is picking up food-grains for itself at this instance. They are having a food crisis… Some place Mani Shankar Aiyar should go and get treatment. This is not Congress’s India. Now, India is very powerful.This is Prime Minister India Modi” he said.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said people in the Congress were “upset”.
“They are upset because they have seen the inevitable consequence of the disastrous 2024 Lok Sabha elections’ defeat. Rather than living in India but they don’t trust Indian army which has the world most strong ammunition they should go to Pakistan,” he said .
Union Minister Anurag Thakur said Congress leaders remain in India but their hearts are with Pakistan.
“Congress leaders remain in India but their hearts are with Pakistan.What courage does Pakistan have?India knows how to give a befitting answer,” Thakur said.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh claimed that Aiyar spoke “the language of Pakistan”.
“He speaks the language of Farooq Abdullah of Pakistan and the Congress speaks the language of Pakistani terrorists. Rahul Gandhi, Congress, Manishankar Aiyar are speaking the language of Pakistan…I would say Congress should abandon this dual policy, India is so powerful and if it sets its sights on us, Pakistan will no longer be in there”, he said.
On its part, however, Congress party responded to Aiyar’s remarks for the first time saying it had no such stand
While this was actually made by the Congress leader Udit Raj: “Mani Shankar Aiyar has no official position; therefore, what he says is his personal opinion. The Congress does not bear such a stand. Nothing has been said by Congress on this,”.
Further, Aiyar added that India had done nothing to engage with Pakistan in last 10 years.
In an interview with Chill Pill on April 15, Mani Shankar Aiyar said, “They [Pakistan] are another sovereign country also. They are a respected nation. You can talk to them (Pakistan) hard. However, it takes eight moments for its radioactivity to reach Amritsar.
He stated: “That’s why you should avoid dropping atomic bombs. But if you start talking and encourage them (by treating them as), then they should start thinking about their atomic bombs.” However were you to snub them instead of encouraging them, A madman will set off a bomb? What happens?
Besides that, he also took a veiled attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that there have been no efforts from his side to engage with Pakistan in 10 years.
“We need to understand that when we want to be ‘Vishwaguru,’ we must first make it clear that we’re putting our house in order quickly (all bilateral issues) with Pakistan,” added the Cong leader who also stated “No effort has been seen in the past ten years (Engage Pakistan).”
The BJP leaders including Union Minister Rajiv Chandrasekhar condemned Aiyer’s pro-Pakistan stance arguing that it reflected the party style of politics.
“Rahul’s congress ‘ideology’ was fully visible during these elections. Support from Pakistan including abandoning Siachen as well as support from home grown terror-related parties and SDPI, Yasin Malik etc .MoU and alliance with CCP of China , dividing people.
Earlier on May 5, in response to Federal Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks that “Pakistani-occupied Kashmir will be merged with India,” Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said, Pakistan did not wear the bracelets nor did they have the atomic bombs they were going to use.
