Take action against Mani Shankar Aiyar, BJP tells Congress

Describing Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s controversial remarks in the Pakistani media as “sedition” and “anti-national”, the BJP on Wednesday demanded that the Congress leadership take strong action against him as well as former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid for criticising the NDA government for taking a tough stand towards Pakistan. The ruling party, reacting to Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad’s “Muslim” terrorist remarks, also accused the Opposition party of trying to “divide the country” on communal lines.

Senior BJP leader and parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said, “Going to a foreign country and calling upon the people to overthrow a democratically elected PM is nothing but sedition... the Congress party should condemn these remarks and should take strongest possible action against these two people. They are not ordinary people to be brushed aside. They were ex-ministers and spokesmen of the Congress party. This shows the level of frustration of the party and its leaders.” The Union minister also reminded the Opposition party that the people of the country have given a massive mandate to the PM.

The Congress, however, maintained that both Mr Aiyar and Mr Khurshid have clarified their statements and also denied them. Insisting that the democratic process has “nothing to do with foreign countries”, the Congress said it respects the verdict of last year’s LS elections and the Bihar elections.