Defender of Pak’s terrorism: BJP hits out at Aiyar and Cong distances from video row

Reacting to the row, Aiyar noted in a statement that it is obvious from the sweater he is wearing in the video that he made the comments in winter several months ago.

Addressing a public meeting in Jharkhand’s Khunti, Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted the Congress and Aiyar saying, “Today Mani Shankar Aiyar is threatening us, and is asking us to respect Pakistan because they have an atomic bomb. A few days ago, Farooq Abdullah, who is an INDI alliance leader, asked us to not talk about PoK because Pakistan has an atomic bomb. I want to tell the Congress and INDI alliance leaders that PoK belongs to India and no one can take it away from us… Our Parliament has passed a proposal with majority votes and it is our stand that PoK is a part of India. By talking about the atom bomb, they are questioning PoK. BJP’s stand is very clear. Every inch of land of PoK belongs to India and it shall remain so.”

Senior BJP leader and Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Aiyar “wants India to fear Pakistan”. The “new India” does not fear anyone, he said, claiming that Aiyar’s comments have highlighted the intentions, policies and ideology of the Congress.

“The Congress under Rahul Gandhi has become an apologist and defender of Pakistan and its terrorism,” he told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

Following the video row, AICC media and publicity department chairman Pawan Khera said, “Indian National Congress dissociates itself completely from and disagrees totally with some remarks made by Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar few months ago, which have been revived today by the BJP in its attempt to deflect attention from Prime Minister Modi’s daily goof-ups.”

Khera further said, “Mr Aiyar does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever.” “The Indian National Congress and indeed the entire nation recalls with pride that in December 1971 Pakistan was broken and an independent Bangladesh emerged, thanks to Indira Gandhi’s decisive and determined leadership and the valour of our armed forces. Almost exactly 50 years ago, on May 18, 1974, under the leadership of Indiraji, India’s nuclear capability was announced to the world. The Indian National Congress has always believed that our decision making should be guided by supreme national interest,” Khera posted on X.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit back at the BJP over the row and asked why was Pakistan being discussed when elections are taking place in India and the unemployment rate here is at a 45-year high. “If it is an old statement, then why are we discussing it today? Secondly, I want to ask, where are elections taking place, in India or in Pakistan? They are taking place in India. So why are we discussing Pakistan?” she told PTI during her campaign trail in Amethi for the party’s candidate Kishori Lal Sharma.

Wth PTI inputs