When the anchor of Pakistani news channel Duniya TV asked what was to be done to end the stalemate in ties between India and Pakistan, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiy
When the anchor of Pakistani news channel Duniya TV asked what was to be done to end the stalemate in ties between India and Pakistan, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said: “The first and foremost thing is to remove Mr Modi. Only then can the talks move forward. We have to wait for four more years. They (panelists) are all optimist and that we can move forward when Modi Sahab is there, but I don’t think so.” He then said: “Bring us (Congress) back to power and remove them. There is no other way (to better ties). We will remove them, till then you (Pakistan) have to wait.”
Reacting to this, BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli said: “What is more worrisome is that two senior Congress leaders, first Salman Khurshid, a former external affairs minister, and now Mani Shankar Aiyar, within a week’s span, have given such statements in a nation which is clearly anti-India and has even perpetrated terror in India. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should react to this and let the country know (their) stand on the issue.”
Labelling Mr Aiyar a propagandist for ISIS after his very public criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said: “While the world is getting together against terrorism, the Prime Minister’s words and agenda to fight terrorism have been accepted the world over. It is in this context the G-20 summit has happened. Over 130 people have been killed in Paris in an open assault on civilisation... and it seems that these people are behaving and conducting themselves as propagandists for ISIS and the Taliban.”
Citing the example of the Samajwadi Party, which was quick to distance itself from Azam Khan’s controversial comments on the Paris attack, Ms Lekhi asked why the Congress had failed to condemn Mr Aiyar’s remarks. “I feel Mani Shankar Aiyar has lost his mental balance... Aiyar’s statement is not only an insult to the Prime Minister but also to the nation,” Union minister Prakash Javadekar said. He added: “It is Pakistan’s way not to resolve Indo-Pak issues. But it is Mr Modi who began the process for India’s good relations with other countries, including Pakistan.”
Congress leader Tom Vaddakan said: “This is absolute nonsense. I have a letter with me written by Mr Aiyar in which he categorically denies saying anything like that. So there is no question of distancing from it.” Even the RJD attacked Mr Aiyar, with its leader Manoj Jha saying even somebody with “minimum sanity” will condemn this statement.
