New Delhi
Mani Shankar Aiyar, a veteran Congress leader, has sparked controversy with his comments about India’s relationship with Pakistan. In a widely circulated interview, Aiyar said, India should respect Pakistan because it has an atom bomb. If we don’t, they might think of using it against us. We shouldn’t forget that Pakistan also has nuclear weapons at Kahuta (Rawalpindi).
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla sharply criticized Aiyar’s remarks, accusing Congress of being overly sympathetic to Pakistan, a country known for supporting terrorism. Despite Pakistan’s role in terrorism against India, Aiyar talks about respecting them, Poonawalla said. He added that Aiyar’s comments reflect Congress’s ongoing closeness with Pakistan.
BJP leader Major Surendra Poonia also condemned Aiyar, tweeting, Mani Shankar Aiyar is batting for ISI and wants India to befriend Pakistan! Why does Congress love Pakistan so much?
Aiyar’s comments come after the resignation of Sam Pitroda, a Congress leader who also made controversial remarks. Aiyar has a history of supporting Pakistan and criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2015, he suggested on a Pakistani TV show that Modi should be removed for talks to progress. Recently, he criticized the Modi government during an event in Lahore, questioning why India could conduct surgical strikes but not engage in dialogue with Pakistan.
