Hamid Ansari says never met Pakistani journalist as BJP questions ‘photo’

Hamid Ansari maintained his earlier stance and reiterated that he never met Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza in any conference – not in 2009, not in 2010 – after BJP stepped up the attack with a photo.

Published on: Jul 15, 2022, 15:25:32 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Poulomi Ghosh

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Former vice president Hamid Ansari on Friday issued a fresh statement denying any link with Pakistan journalist Nusrat Mirza after the BJP amped up the attack against him using a photo released by Dr Adish Aggarwala, chairman of the All India Bar Association. 'The former vice president of India stands by his earlier statement that he never knew or invited the Pakistan journalist Nusrat Mirza to any conference, including the 2010 conference mentioned by Nusrat Mirza or 2009 conference on terrorism or on any other occasion," the new statement issued by the officer of the former vice president of India read. Also Read | Congress on BJP's ‘insinuations’ against Hamid Ansari: ‘The level that PM will…'

Hamid Ansari stood by his earlier statement that he never met Nusrat Mirza in the wake of fresh allegations against him.  (HT Photo)

The BJP on Friday stepped up its attack on the Congress over the matter and cited a photograph of Ansari and Mirza purportedly sharing the stage during a 2009 conference in India on terrorism.

Amid the ongoing controversy started after a Pakistani journalist claimed that he visited India on the invitation of the former VP, advocate Dr Adish Aggarwala, chairman of the All India Bar Asociation, on Thursday released a detailed press statement claiming that he was the organiser of a conference in which Ansari "desired" to have the Pakistani journalist invited. But that did not happen. Dr Aggarwala claimed that the Pakistani journalist was not invited to that said event.

However, Dr Aggarwala released a purported photo of an event claiming that both Ansari and teh Pakistani journalist were present at a 2009 conference.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters on Friday, the party's national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia showed a picture of Ansari purportedly sharing a stage with Mirza at a conference on terrorism here in 2009. People holding constitutional posts should act responsibly and should have not shared the stage with Mirza, Bhatia said.

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