New Delhi: Continuing his attack on suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the former Union Minister had spoken in Pakistan about having him removed in order to establish peace between the two countries.
Aiyar has been at the receiving end of BJP's ire since his 'neech' remark against PM Modi on Thursday. While Congress was swift in suspending him from primary membership of the party, PM Modi has put him in his direct line of attack at poll rallies in Gujarat. "Mani Shankar Aiyar told people when he visited Pakistan - remove Modi from the way and then see what happens to India-Pakistan peace. What did he mean by removing me from the way? And what is my crime? That I have blessings of the people?" he said at an election rally in Banaskantha.
PM Modi was referring to Aiyar's comments made in November of 2015 during a panel discussion on a Pakistani news channel. In that discussion, Aiyar had also reportedly said that the Congress must be brought back to power for Indo-Pak relations to improve.
While no amateur in making controversial statements, Aiyar has said that his most recent remark may have been because Hindi was not his mother tongue and that he had misspoken. Criticism against him and Congress though continues to come in at the rate of knots with PM Modi accusing the party of having Mughal mindset while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley calling the suspension 'strategic'.
