Signal to Pakistan, China to help Congress in polls? BJP blasts Congress over Mani Shankar Aiyar's ‘alleged China invasion’ take

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, May 29

With just a day left for the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign to end, the ruling BJP on Wednesday latched on to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s “China allegedly invaded India in 1962” remarks and asked if this is a signal to China to interfere in the Indian election and help the Congress.

Aiyar had on Tuesday said “China allegedly invaded India in 1962”, with Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in a rare late night retort quickly distancing the party from Aiyar’s remarks and saying the 1962 China invasion of India was real.

Ramesh said Aiyar had apologised and that he should be given concession for his age.

But the BJP was unsparing as it fielded national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia to question top Congress leaders for Aiyar’s statements.

“Can Aiyar say this without the approval of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi? The serious question is why Rahul and Kharge are allowing people like Mani Shankar Aiyar to break the morale of our brave soldiers. Why are they making anti-India statements during elections? Is it a signal to these nations to interfere and help the Congress because they know the Congress is getting decimated,” said Bhatia.

He said 43,000 sq km of Indian land was captured by China during the 1962 war when Jawaharlal Nehru was the prime minister.

“This land is still under China and the issue is alive. How does the Congress call it an alleged invasion? This is a live issue where India still has claim over every inch of the land and Mani Shankar Aiyar gives a clean chit to China,” said Bhatia.

Asking why Kharge and Rahul were silent on this, Bhatia said, “During elections within a span of one week Mani Shankar Aiyar has said two worrisome things. We all know the relations between India and China. India has been showing China its place and at such a time these disturbing signals are being given by the Congress and Aiyar. These signals clearly show the anti-India mindset of the Congress. Similar signals were sent to Pakistan when Aiyar a few days ago said even Pakistan is in possession of an atomic bomb and so India should be careful.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also targeted the Congress for the “atomic bomb” statement and said India is a strong nation which does not fear any threats.