Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has once again found himself at the centre of controversy for his controversial remarks on India’s views on the neighbouring country. Iyer claimed that India should “respect” Pakistan because it has an “atom bomb”.
In his statement, Aiyar warned against confrontation with Pakistan, saying that anger could lead to dangerous consequences, including the use of nuclear weapons. He stressed the importance of mutual respect for peaceful relations between the two countries and warned of the consequences of rejecting Pakistan.
India should give respect to Pakistan and also normalise relationships with Pakistan because they have atom bomb
-Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar pic.twitter.com/GchigmJQpF
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) May 10, 2024
Aiyar’s comments come amid a diplomatic row between India and Pakistan following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stern warning that Indian troops would enter Pakistan to eliminate militants trying to escape across the border. This exchange of verbal salvos heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Notably, this is not the first time Aiyar has sparked controversy with his remarks. He has a history of provocative statements, including downplaying the intensity of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and questioning the effectiveness of military actions like the Balakot air raid. Besides, Aiyar used to advocate dialogue in his reconciliation with Pakistan shows and drew criticism from political opponents.
Interestingly, Aiyar’s recent comments resemble those made by another Congress veteran, Sam Pitroda, who has also faced criticism for his controversial statements. Pitroda, a close aide to the Gandhi family, recently sparked outrage by suggesting that people from some areas of India resemble Chinese or Africans, drawing widespread condemnation for his remarks.
While Aiyar and Pitroda have advocated for a more conciliatory approach towards Pakistan, their statements have been met with scepticism and backlash from political opponents and the public alike. Critics have accused them of appeasing Pakistan and undermining India’s national security interests by downplaying the threat posed by the neighbouring nation.
In response to Aiyar’s remarks, several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have condemned the Congress leader’s stance, accusing him of prioritising dialogue with Pakistan over India’s security concerns. 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 “obvious in these elections”. “Support to and from Pakistan, including offering to give up Siachen,” he added.
Rahuls Cong "idealogy" is fully visible in these elections
➡️Support to and from Pakistan incldg offrng to give up Siachen
➡️ Support to and from domestic terror-linked organizations and people like SDPI, Yasin Malik
➡️ Rampant Corruption and loot of money meant for poor… pic.twitter.com/UABONLzNFN— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@RajeevRC_X) May 10, 2024
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticised Aiyar for his perceived pro-Pakistan stance, alleging that the Congress party has a long history of appeasing Pakistan to garner votes. He stated that “Congress’ ‘Pakistan prem’ doesn’t seem to stop. Mani Shankar Aiyar, who is close to the ‘first family’, is displaying Pakistan’s muscle and strength on behalf of the Congress party. He says that Pakistan should be respected and talks should be held with them – the same Pakistan that keeps sending terrorists to our country…Now, when incidents like Pulwama take place, a befitting reply is given…Today, Pakistan keeps pleading on international platforms to spare them…Look at the list of Congress – how they first received support from Pakistan, a clean chit was given to Kasab in 26/11, the language of Pakistan was spoken by uttering the words’ Indian Administered Kashmir’…now ‘Congress ka haath’ is being seen with ‘Pakistan ke saath’. This is another example of the same.”
On recent statement of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Pakistan, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, "Congress' 'Pakistan prem' doesn't seem to stop. Mani Shankar Aiyar who is close to the 'first family' is displaying the muscle and strength of Pakistan on behalf of… pic.twitter.com/a2NQrIr4cB
— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) May 10, 2024
Similarly, other BJP leaders, including Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, have criticised Aiyar’s remarks, asserting that India should prioritise its national security interests above diplomatic niceties. They have accused the Congress party of being out of touch with the realities of India’s security challenges and have vowed to counter any attempts to undermine the country’s sovereignty.
