The Congress on Friday distanced itself from its senior party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks on opening diplomatic channels with Pakistan. He said India should respect Pakistan so that they don't drop an atom bomb on us. Congress' Pawan Khera even said that the BJP has revived a very old comment in its attempt to deflect attention from Prime Minister Modi’s daily goof ups.
In a long post on X, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "Indian National Congress dissociates itself completely from and disagrees totally with some remarks made by Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar a few months back which have been revived today by the BJP in its attempt to deflect attention from Prime Minister Modi’s daily goof ups. Mr Aiyer does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever. The Indian National Congress and indeed the entire nation recalls with pride that in Dec 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," he added.
How Aiyar reacted to the controversy
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said a video of his comments on Pakistan being circulated is old and being dredged up because the BJP’s Lok Sabha campaign is faltering. "It is obvious from the sweater I am wearing that my comments to Chill Pill were made in the winter several months ago. They have been dredged up now as the BJP's election campaign falters. I refuse to play their game," the Congress leader said in a statement. Interested persons may please read the relevant passages in my two books released by Juggernaut last year, "Memoirs of a Maverick" and "The Rajiv I Knew"..," he said.
