Remove Modi for India-Pak talks resumption: Aiyar

Condemning senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s comment against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a Pakistani news channel, Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla on Tuesday said it was simply baffling to see the grand old party begging a neighbouring nation to join it to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

As the anchor responded that only “you” [the Congress] “can remove Mr. Modi”, Mr. Aiyar replied, “Yes, we will have to remove him and you have to wait for that”. They (referring to other panelists) are all very optimistic that we can move forward while Modi is PM.

Congress on Monday had disassociated itself from Aiyar’s statement in the wake of the Paris terror attacks even as it demanded “immediate removal” of Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan for his controversial remarks on the strikes.

RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said, “Even somebody with little sanity will condemn this statement”.

On Congress distancing from Aiyar, Heptulla said: “This is a good strategy of the Congress. First, you make them pass a statement, and then distance from it. How dare he make such statement on a Pakistani television? Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should react to this and let the country know (their) stand on the issue”. I have a letter with me written by Mr Aiyer in which he categorically denies saying anything like that. “If there has been a leader of democratic Pakistan who wanted peace with India, it is Sharif who was the first non-military (Pakistani) leader to try for peace”. Continuing her tirade on Aiyar, Meenakshi Lekhi said the Congress was desperately trying out all kinds of tricks to stay relevant after being rejected completely by the people of India.

“We do not want to associate with Mani Shankar Aiyar”.