'Respect Pakistan...They Have Atom Bomb': Mani Shankar Aiyar Triggers Massive Row, BJP Lambasts Congress

No stranger to controversy, veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has triggered a fresh row by claiming that India should “respect” Pakistan because it has “atom bomb”. The statement has led to a massive outrage, with BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla saying that Congress’ love for the neighbour is never ending.

“Congress’ love for Pakistan is old. He’s the same Mani Shankar Aiyar who went begging to Pakistan to remove Narendra Modi as India’s prime minister. Many Congress leaders have been giving clean chit to Pakistan on 26/11, Pulwama and Poonch attacks. For them, the one who sends terrorists is respectable, while the Indian Army is ‘sadak ka goonda’,” Poonawallah said while lashing out at Aiyar.

“This is all because Pakistan has been continuously tweeting in support of Congress. So this thought is not just of Mani Shankar Aiyar, but the entire Congress. This is simply an experiment for vote bank amid ongoing polls,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ravi Kishan said that Mani Shankar Aiyar should get himself treated somewhere. “At a time when Pakistan is collecting food grains for itself and is facing food crisis, Aiyar wants to give them respect. He should get himself treated somewhere. This is not the India of Congress. Now, India is very powerful. This is the India of PM Modi,” he said.

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is contesting against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram seat, said that the “ideology” of Rahul Gandhi’s Congress is “fully visible in these elections”. “Support to and from Pakistan, including offering to give up Siachen,” he added.

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that the Congress is rattled as it is certain of losing 2024 Lok Sabha elections, while Union minister Anurag Thakur claimed that Congress leaders stay in India but their hearts reside in Pakistan.

The reactions came after a video of Mani Shankar Aiyar went viral on social media. In the clip, the Congress leader can be heard saying, “India should respect Pakistan because it has a nuclear bomb. If we do not respect them, they will think of using atom bomb against India. India, which is showing muscular policy, should not forget that Pakistan also has muscle (nuclear bomb) in Kahuta (Rawalpindi).”

“They have atom bombs. We have them too, but if a ‘madman’ decides to drop a bomb on Lahore, it won’t take eight seconds for the radiation to reach Amritsar,” he warned. The statement was reportedly made last month. However, it went viral in May.

The Congress leader’s remarks came days after PM Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s “ghar me ghus kar maarenge” warning. The leaders had said that the Indian forces would enter Pakistan to kill anyone who escapes over the border.

Amid the backlash, the Congress dissociated itself from Aiyar’s remarks, saying they have been revived by the BJP in its attempt to deflect attention from PM Modi’s daily “goof ups”.

Aiyar does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever, Congress media department chairperson Pawan Khera said on X. Disagreeing totally with the remarks made by Aiyar some months ago, Khera said it is an old video.

Later, Aiyar too issued a clarification, saying that his old video was 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 added.

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