veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar sparked a row with his statement on Pakistan, prompting a sharp attack by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Aiyar said that India should engage in diplomatic dialogue with Pakistan with respect or it would have to pay a hefty price.
In an interview clip that went viral, Mani Shankar Aiyar can be heard calling Pakistan a respected nation. He further says that Pakistan has an atom bomb, which it can use if not treated with respect.
In an interview with Chill Pill, Mani Shankar Aiyar said: "They are also a sovereign country (Pakistan). They are a respected nation. You can talk tough with them (Pakistan). But start the dialogue. You are walking with a gun which yielded you nothing. Tensions are escalating. And if a mad person comes there, what will happen to the nation?”
“They have an atom bomb. We also possess the atomic bomb. But if a mad person detonates a bomb at Lahore station, within eight seconds, eight moments, its radioactivity will reach Amritsar,” he added.
Mani Shankar Aiyar said Pakistan could use its atomic bombs.
“So you should prevent the use of atomic bombs. But, if you start a dialogue with them (Pakistan) and encourage them (by considering them as), then they should start thinking about their atomic bomb. But if you snub them, then a mad person will come and detonate the bomb. Then what will happen?”
Taking a veiled jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mani Shankar Aiyar said that there have been no efforts to reach out to Pakistan over the last 10 years.
"We must understand that to become the 'Vishwaguru' (global leader), it is important to show that we are working rapidly to solve (all the bilateral issues) with Pakistan. There has been no effort (on the part of the government) to ( reach out to Pakistan) in the last ten years," he added.
Lambasting Congress for Aiyar's remarks, union minister and BJP leader Rajiv Chandrasekhar said that his comments reflected the ideology of the grand old party.
"Rahul's Congress ideology" is fully visible in these elections. Support to and from Pakistan including offering 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 the poor. Racism, divisiveness and ignorance of Sam Pitroda. Appease the Muslim community at the cost of all others including SC, OBC, and ST who have been denied progress for decades. MOU and alliance with the Chinese Communist Party. Dividing people, Lies, Abuse and fake guarantees to mislead the poor and vulnerable. Today Congress' episode stars Manishankar Iyer," he posted on X.
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