Former Union minister and Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar stoked a fresh controversy on Tuesday during a panel discussion on a Pakistani news channel.
He reportedly said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to be removed if talks between the two nations have to resume.
Here’s the clip from Dunya News that was played on Zee news.
The Congress leader’s comments evoked sharp response from the BJP and even Congress ally in Bihar, RJD. The saffron party has said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi should react to this and let the country know their stand on the issue.
The Congress, however, said BJP’s charges were “absolute nonsense” and that Aiyar communicated to the party that he had said no such thing.
When the anchor of Dunya News asked what is to be done to end the stalemate in the relations between the two nations, Aiyar responded,
The first and the foremost thing is to remove 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 further said, “Bring us (the Congress) back to power and remove them. There is no other way (to better the relations). We will remove them, but till then you (Pakistan) have to wait.”
Aiyar Stands Firm as BJP Demands Explanation
When asked for his reaction to the issue, 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.”
Defending himself, Aiyar said he had no reason to regret his remarks on Modi.
I gave a straight anwser to a straight question. I regret nothing,Mani Shankar Aiyar, Congress Leader
He said the panel discussion in Pakistan was recorded on November 6.
The BJP termed it as “extremely serious, worrisome and completely incorrect.”
What is even more worrisome is that two senior Congress leaders, first Salman Khurshid, who is the former External Affairs Minister, and now Mani Shankar Aiyar, within a week’s span have given such a statement 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 its stand on the issue.Nalin Kohli, BJP Spokesperson
Attacking Aiyar for the statement, RJD’s Manoj Jha said even somebody with “minimum sanity” will condemn this statement. “Even a kindergarten student will not issue such a statement,” he said.
Aiyar had last week created a controversy with his remarks in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.
Reacting to the attacks in Paris on Friday killing 129 people, Aiyar had said that “the anti-Islam phobia that is being carried out in the western countries should be stopped immediately. The Muslims living in France should be provided with the assurance that they are also citizens of the country.”
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