Mani Shankar Aiyer Stokes Fresh Controversy, Says India Must Respect Pakistan

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyer stoked fresh controversy as he asked India to engage in with Pakistan, adding that New Delhi must respect Pakistan as the latter is a nuclear state. In the video, Aiyar is heard saying that India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and engage with it as it also possesses an atom bomb.

An old interview of Mani Shankar Aiyer is doing the rounds in which Aiyer can be heard batting for dialogue with Islamabad. Mani Shankar Aiyer said that if India doesn't respect Pakistan, it may have to pay a heavy price. He questioned India's decision to respond to Pakistan's aggression through force. 

Mani Shankar Aiyer said that if the Indian government irks Pakistan, it could drop an atom bomb on India. 

You (India) should talk to them (Pakistan). But instead, we are flexing our military might. And this is just increasing the tensions. And they have atom bombs. What happens if a 'madman' decided to launch bombs (at India)," said the Congress leader. 

Congress Distances Itself 

The Congress on Friday dissociated itself from Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks on Pakistan, alleging they have been revived by the BJP in its attempt to deflect attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s daily "goof ups". The Congress said that whatever Aiyer said he said in his own capacity, and doesn't reflect party's stand. 

Aiyar does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever, Congress media department chairperson Pawan Khera said on X. Disagreeing totally with the remarks made by Aiyar some months ago, Khera said it is an old video.

“Indian National Congress dissociates itself completely from and disagrees totally with some remarks made by Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar few months back which have been revived today by the BJP in its attempt to deflect attention from Prime Minister Modi’s daily goof ups. Mr Aiyer does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever,” said Khera in his post on X. 

Congress' Crisis Deepens 

This is the second senior leader from whose comments the Congress party had to dissociate itself. Earlier, Congress Overseas Chairman Sam Pitroda stoked a major controversy after he cited ethnic and racial identities like Chinese, Africans, Arabs and Whites to describe the physical appearance of Indians from different parts of the country.

Pitroda, in an interview to 'The Statesman', said that people from eastern region region of the country look like Chinese, while those from down south resemble Africans. He was speaking on the diversity of India. 

Reacting to the same, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the analogies drawn by Pitroda were unacceptable. Jairam Ramesh further added that the Indian National Congress completely ‘dissociates’ itself from the remarks of Sam Pitroda.  “The analogies drawn by Mr. Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India's diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies,” said Sam Pitroda in a post on X. 

Later, Pitroda resigned as the party's overseas unit chief.