‘Congress Insulting PV Narasimha Rao’: BJP Slams Gandhi Family Over MS Aiyer’s Remarks

The BJP criticised the Congress party over Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks on former PM P V Narasimha Rao as well as his emphasis on resuming dialogue with Pakistan.

File Photos of BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar

Source : PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday hit out at the Congress over remarks by former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar saying that the senior Congress leader’s autobiography reveals the “soul” of the INDIA alliance. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra highlighted Aiyar’s remarks against former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, claiming that it was the Gandhi family that was making him say how Rao “belonged to the BJP and not the Congress.” The saffron party also took exception to Aiyer emphasising on resumption of dialogue with Pakistan.

Patra recounted Mani Shankar Aiyar’s attacks directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mentioning: “Before 2014 (polls), he is the same Mani Shankar Aiyar who said Narendra Modi can never become Prime Minister, at most he can erect a tent and sell tea in front of the Congress plenary session. You know the result, the country gave a thumping majority to NDA to form a government.”

#WATCH | BJP leader Sambit Patra says, "...2024 elections are approaching and 'mukut mani' (Mani Shankar Aiyar) has shone once again. This time he not only spoke but also wrote a book. He spoke especially on three Ps - Parivaarvaad, Pakshapaat and Pakistan...The soul of the… pic.twitter.com/JAUorybeY9

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2023

“Ahead of the 2019 election, Gandhi family’s ‘mukut mani’ Mani Shankar Aiyar said in Pakistan that Modi needs to be defeated and removed. Before the 2019 polls, he said Narendra Modi is ‘neech’. The country was stunned as to how the person who is the closest to the Gandhi family used such words for the Prime Minister. The result was that people responded to such arrogant statements and arrogant leaders (with their mandate),” he added.

With the 2024 elections approaching, the BJP leader said that Mani Shankar Aiyar has once again come up to not just deliver remarks, but has also written a book.

“He spoke especially on three Ps: Parivaarvaad (dynastic politics), Pakshapaat against Hindus (discrimination against Hindus), and Pakistan,” he remarked, calling the INDIA alliance a “ghamandiya (arrogant)” alliance.

“The soul of the Alliance (INDIA) has been presented by Mani Shankar Aiyar in a written format in the form of an autobiography. PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister from Congress and the kind of words that have been used for him clearly show that the Gandhi family’s spokesperson cannot tolerate someone other than a Gandhi family member becoming the PM, even if the person is from within the Congress party. PV Narasimha Rao was the first Prime Minister from Congress who was not a Gandhi family member, yet completed a five-year tenure. The family could not bear that,” Patra remarked, claiming that the Gandhi family asked Aiyer to make remarks about the former prime minister.

P V Narasimha Rao was the ninth prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996.

“Mani Shankar Aiyar has been made to say that PV Narasimha Rao belonged to the BJP and not Congress. When Sonia Gandhi did not allow PV Narasimha Rao’s mortal remains to be brought to the Congress headquarters, the emotions behind that act have been presented by Mani Shankar Aiyar in an exact sense,” he added.

First BJP PM Was P V Narasimha Rao: Mani Shankar Aiyar

The salvo comes as Aiyar on Wednesday during the launch of his autobiography claimed that former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao was communal and described him as the first BJP PM of the country.

In his remarks at the book launch, Aiyar remarked that he discovered how ‘communal and how Hindu-oriented’ P V Narasimha Rao was, as reported by news agency PTI.

He went on to narrate a conversation from the time when he was carrying out 'Ram-Rahim' yatra.

“Narasimha Rao told me that he had no objection to my yatra, but he disagreed with my definition of secularism. I said what is wrong with my definition of secularism. He said Mani you don't seem to understand that this is a Hindu country. I sat up in my chair and said that is exactly what the BJP says,” the veteran Congress leader recounted, as per PTI.

“The first BJP prime minister was not Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the first BJP PM was Rao,” he said.

Congress Can’t Live Without Pakistan: BJP

The BJP today also attacked Aiyer for his remarks on Pakistan demanding a --- with the neighbouring country. “Mani Shankar Aiyar and Congress cannot live without Pakistan. If Pakistan is in trouble, it is targeted with a surgical strike or air strike, the attack is on them but people get restless here,” Sambit Patra remarked

“Yesterday was such a big day. India achieved a milestone, Chandrayaan landed in the (lunar) South Pole. At the same time, a press conference by Mani Shankar Aiyar comes wherein he says, ‘India can never be a ‘Vishwaguru’ because India is ignoring Pakistan. If India can’t establish peace with its western neighbour, if India can’t talk to Pakistan, it can never lead the world’,” he added.

#WATCH | BJP leader Sambit Patra says, "...Yesterday was such a big day. India achieved a milestone, Chandrayaan landed in the (lunar) South Pole. At the same time, a press conference by Mani Shankar Aiyar comes wherein he says, "India can never be a 'Vishwaguru' because India is… pic.twitter.com/hmD6SPHipy

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2023

The BJP leader highlighted that “India has already proved its mettle”.

“He (Aiyer) also said PM Modi can do a surgical strike but cannot hold talks with Pakistan, the Congress held talks when it was our Prime Minister. PM Modi has clearly said ‘talks and terror cannot move together’,” he said, stressing on “Zero tolerance” policy of the Modi government towards terrorism.

This statement was in reference to Aiyer’s remarks as he said, “Former prime minister Manmohan Singh showed that by engaging with Pakistan they could arrive at a four-point agreement on Kashmir. So long we are not able to settle issues with Pakistan, I am afraid Pakistan will be an albatross around our necks and we will never become ‘vishwaguru’ of the world.”

The veteran Congress leader also commented, “We have the courage to carry out surgical strikes against them but we don't have the guts to sit across the table and talk to a Pakistani”, as quoted by PTI.

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