As the ruling BJP attacked senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, accusing him of making “anti-India” statements on a Pakistani television channel, the Congress on Tuesday defended him, arguing that there was nothing objectionable in his remarks.
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“Whereas Congress party has chosen not to do so in this context”, the BJP leader said. In addition to expressing remorse, Aiyar said, “we should also think that why this situation has raised?”
The BJP slammed Aiyar for his comments, terming it as “absolutely appalling”.
However, when the journalist said that it wouldn’t be possible, the Congress leader said then “Pakistan would have to wait”. “When Nawaz Sharif had called Manmohan Singh a “dehati aurat” the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi had condemned it as an insult to the Indian Prime Minister” but the Congress party has neither criticised Aiyar nor condemned his remarks, she pointed out. “Modi is not used to talking to people who disagree with him”, Khurshid had said. “So there is no question of distancing from it”, said party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan. Even a kindergarten student will not issue such a statement, he said.
“The Muslims living in France should be provided with the assurance that they are also citizens of the country”, he said.
“At a time when the entire world stood up to condemn the Paris attack, Mani Shankar Aiyar and Salman Khurshid were speaking ill of our prime minister on foreign land. It was an inhuman action in which so many people have been killed”.
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The Congress leader’s comments evoked a sharp response from BJP and RJD, with the saffron outfit saying Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-president Rahul Gandhi should react to this and let the country know their stance on the issue.
