The BJP on Monday condemned an “unwarranted” statement by Pakistan on Gujarat elections, and seemed to suggest that it was aimed at bailing out the Congress party. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, at a press conference, said Indians were capable of contesting elections on their own.
The retort came after Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted: “India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible”.
Later in the day, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tweeted asking why it had taken the Congress more than 48 hours to accept that a “hush, hush” meeting with the Pakistani envoy and a former Pakistani minister took place at Mani Shankar Aiyar’s residence, attended by former PM Manmohan Singh, former vice president Hamid Ansari and several Congress leaders.
“Why has it taken 48 hours for Dr. (Manmohan) Singh to accept the meeting took place. Why did the Congress leaders deny yesterday?” Rao asked in a tweet. “Why was this a ‘hush hush’ meeting? Why was the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) India not in the loop? Why do Congress leaders meet China and Pakistan envoys secretly?”
Rao’s remarks came after Singh issued a statement accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading “falsehood and canards” in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat elections and asked him to “apologize to the nation”.
{{/usCountry}}Rao’s remarks came after Singh issued a statement accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading “falsehood and canards” in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat elections and asked him to “apologize to the nation”.
{{/usCountry}}On Sunday, at a rally in Gujarat’s Palanpur, Modi talked about a purported secret meeting held at suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s home and attended by the Pakistani High Commissioner, an ex-Pakistani foreign minister, a former Vice President of India and former Prime Minister Singh.
This meeting, Modi claimed, happened a day before Aiyar called him “neech”.
Prasad told reporters: “Today a very curious statement has been released by Pakistan foreign office condemning Pakistan being dragged into India’s election and stated that Indians must learn to fight the elections on their own.
“Yes, I wish to tell Pakistan that Indians are capable of contesting... (elections in) India’s democracy on their own as they do... India’s Prime Minister is a popularly elected PM,” he said.
India, said Prasad, “completely abhors any outside interference in India’s electoral affairs.”
“The role of Pakistan in promoting terrorism in India is too well known in the entire world. Please stop giving us lessons. We are proud of India’s democracy,” he said.
“We are very proud of India’s democracy and totally condemn this unwarranted statement from Pakistan,” he said.
Prasad said it was “curious” that Congress leader Anand Sharma had denied any meeting taking place at the residence of Aiyar.
“And in today’s newspapers...It is very evident as to who attended the meeting including from Pakistan and even Manmohan Singh went there in the get-together,” he said. “Why a wrong statement was made by Anand Sharma completely denying that any such meeting took place.”
“Now it is whose turn to apologise? But what is curious is that this happens and Pakistan comes out with an official statement... in many ways seeking to bail out Congress party. Is it too suspicious? Surely, the country will draw its own conclusion,” he added.