Why did Congress take 48 hours to acknowledge meeting with Pakistan envoy: BJP

New Delhi, December 11

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday questioned why it took the Congress over 48 hours to accept that a "hush, hush" meeting with the Pakistani envoy and a former Pakistani Minister did take place at Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence, attended by former Prime Minister 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?" BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao questioned 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?" he asked.

Rao's remarks came soon after Manmohan 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".

In a hard-hitting statement, Manmohan Singh denied allegations by Modi that he and others invited to a dinner at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence with Pakistani diplomats discussed the Gujarat election.

The statement follows Modi allegations at an election rally in Gujarat that guests at Aiyar's house, including Singh and Ansari, discussed the Gujarat election with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India and a former Pakistani Foreign Minister among others. IANS