The Congress should be ready to not be the leader of the INDIA Opposition bloc, veteran party leader and former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has said in an interview to The Indian Express. Asked if any other party could lead the INDIA bloc, Mr Aiyar said, “I don’t think it’s a relevant question. I think the Congress should be ready to not be the leader of the bloc. Let whoever wants to be the leader be the leader. There is competence in Mamata Banerjee… There is competence in others in the alliance.”

“So, I don’t care who becomes the leader because I think the position of the Congress party and of the Congress leader will always be a major one. It doesn’t have to be the only one. It will be the major one in the INDIA bloc. I am sure Rahul (Gandhi) will be treated with even more respect than he would be as the president of the alliance,” said the 83-year-old, who has come out with the second volume of his autobiography A Maverick in Politics.

The senior Congress leader’s remarks come against the backdrop of a leadership tussle within the Opposition bloc formed last year to take on the BJP’s formidable election machinery. The grand alliance strategy worked well in the Lok Sabha election and the ruling BJP was restricted to below the majority mark. The alliance, however, has proved to be tricky in regions where two INDIA partners are electoral rivals. This has drawn attacks from the BJP, which has termed the bloc “opportunistic”.

The Congress, which doubled its Lok Sabha election score this time, has since suffered setbacks in Haryana and Maharashtra polls. Soon after the Maharashtra results, Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took a veiled swipe at the Grand Old Party. She said “everyone needs to be taken along” as the Opposition bloc moves against the BJP-ruled central government. Asked why she was not taking charge, Ms Banerjee said, “If given the opportunity, I would ensure its smooth functioning. I don’t want to go outside Bengal, but I can run it from here.”

Veteran Opposition leaders Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Pawar threw their weight behind Ms Banerjee.

“Congress’s objection means nothing. We will support Mamata… Mamata Banerjee should be given the leadership (of the INDIA Bloc),” the RJD founder said.

NCP founder Sharad Pawar said, “Yes, certainly (she is capable of leading the alliance). She is a prominent leader of this nation… she has that capability. The elected leaders she sent to Parliament are responsible, dutiful, and well-aware people. Therefore, she has the right to say so.”

Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had said Mamata Banerjee should be a major partner of the INDIA alliance. “We know this opinion of Mamata ji. We also want her to be a major partner of the INDIA alliance. Whether it is Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal or Shiv Sena, we are all together,” he said.

New Delhi:

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has claimed that the Gandhi family played a part in both his rise and his subsequent marginalisation within the party. “The irony of my life is that my political career was made by the Gandhis and unmade by the Gandhis,” Mr Aiyar remarked. 

In an exclusive interview with news agency PTI, the 83-year-old claimed that he was not given any substantial, direct engagement with key members of the Gandhi family over the years.

“For 10 years, I was not given an opportunity to meet Sonia Gandhi one-on-one. I was not given an opportunity, except once, of spending any meaningful time with Rahul Gandhi. And I have not spent time with Priyanka except on one occasion, no, two occasions,” he said, adding that Priyanka  Gandhi has occasionally called him on the phone, which has kept some level of contact alive.

EXCLUSIVE | VIDEO: “For 10 years, I was not given an opportunity to meet Sonia Gandhi one-on-one. I was not given an opportunity, except once, of spending any meaningful time with Rahul Gandhi. And I have not spent time with Priyanka except on one occasion, no, two occasions. She… pic.twitter.com/A40wVsV0vd

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 15, 2024

Recalling one particular incident, Mr Aiyar said he had to rely on the Wayanad MP to convey his birthday wishes to Rahul Gandhi during a period when he was suspended from the party. 

“I happened to meet her (Priyanka Gandhi) and she’s always been very kind to me,” he said. “And I thought that since Rahul’s birthday was in June, I could ask her to convey my greetings to Rahul.”

According to Mr Aiyar, when Priyanka Gandhi asked why he wasn’t talking to Rahul Gandhi himself, he replied, “I am suspended and therefore I can’t talk to my leader.”

The veteran leader said he wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi – a gesture that began with birthday greetings but also sought clarity on his suspension, but “never got any acknowledgement for that letter”.

New Delhi:

Congress leader and former diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar on Wednesday expressed his disappointment and concern over Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, calling him a “man of doubtful character.”

Speaking to the news agency ANI, Mr Aiyar said, “I feel extremely sorry that a man of such doubtful character as Donald Trump shouldn’t have been elected the president of the world’s most powerful democracy.”

Mr Trump is accused in a case related to falsifying business records in a hush-money case involving adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The case centred on payments made to Ms Daniels just days before the 2016 presidential election.

“The moral dimension was missing. It’s very saddening that such a powerful country will be led by such a man who has been convicted as a felon on 34 different counts and who has made an infamous name for himself by consorting with prostitutes and making payments to them to cover up for his sins. I don’t think a man of such a character is good for either his country or the world,” Mr Aiyar said.

#WATCH | Delhi: On #USElections2024 results, Former Diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar says, “I feel extremely sorry that a man of such doubtful character as Donald Trump shouldn’t have been elected the president of the world’s most powerful democracy. I also recognize that there is a… pic.twitter.com/jF2nGf2g1P

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2024

Aiyar has been known for his candid and sometimes provocative opinions, which have sparked debates and discussions in Indian politics.

In the US presidential election, Trump, a Republican candidate, clinched a decisive victory over his Democratic rival Kamala Harris.

He will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, which will be his second term in this post.

Earlier, Trump was the President of the United States from 2016 to 2020. He had to face defeat in the election field for his second consecutive term from the then Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

A few months before the US presidential election, Biden withdrew from contesting for a second term, after which the Democratic Party declared Kamala Harris as its candidate.

This will be only the second instance of a president serving two non-consecutive terms in the White House, the first in over 100 years. Grover Cleveland served as a non-consecutive president in 1884 and 1892. Trump had earlier served as US President from 2016 to 2020.

Aiyar also expressed grief over Kamala Harris’s defeat. He said that Kamala Harris, who would have won, would have been the first woman and the first politician from India to become president. This would have been a historic and positive step.

“As for Kamala Harris, she was given a very short time. She came up from behind. She was performing extremely well. But it seems that very deep faultlines in American society ultimately coalesced against her, and she lost in this race,” said Aiyar.

In the latest faux pas, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar while narrating an anecdote referred to the 1962 India-China war as “alleged Chinese invasion”. 

“..In October 1962, the Chinese allegedly invaded India,” Mani Shankar Aiyar was heard saying at an event in Delhi.

Mr Aiyar later “unreservedly apologised” for having “mistakenly” used the word “alleged” before ‘Chinese invasion’.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, the BJP called it a “brazen attempt at revisionism.”

“Nehru gave up India’s claim on permanent seat at the UNSC in favour of the Chinese, Rahul Gandhi signed a secret MoU, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation accepted funds from the Chinese Embassy and published reports recommending market access for Chinese companies, based on them, Sonia Gandhi’s UPA opened up Indian market for Chinese goods, hurting MSMEs and now Congress leader Aiyar wants to whitewash the Chinese invasion, post which the Chinese have been in illegal occupation of 38,000 sq km of Indian territory,” BJP’s Amit Malviya said on X.

Mani Shankar Aiyar, speaking at the FCC, during launch of a book called Nehru’s First Recruits, refers to Chinese invasion in 1962 as ‘alleged’. This is a brazen attempt at revisionism.

Nehru gave up India’s claim on permanent seat at the UNSC in favour of the Chinese, Rahul… pic.twitter.com/Z7T0tUgJiD

— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) May 28, 2024

As the goof-up triggered a huge row, the Congress disassociated itself with the veteran leader’s statement.

“Mani Shankar Aiyar has subsequently apologised unreservedly for using the term “alleged invasion” mistakenly. Allowances must be made for his age. The INC distances itself from his original phraseology. The Chinese invasion of India that began on October 20, 1962, was for REAL. So too were the Chinese incursions in Ladakh in early May 2020 in which 20 of our soldiers were martyred and the status quo disturbed,” party leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X – earlier known as Twitter.

Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar has subequently apologised unreservedly for using the term “alleged invasion” mistakenkly. Allowances must be made for his age. The INC distances itself from his original phraseology.

The Chinese invasion of India that began on October 20 1962 was for… https://t.co/74oXfL1Ur2

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 28, 2024

Mani Shankar Aiyar is not new to controversy. A video of his old interview went viral earlier this month where he said that India should engage in dialogue with Pakistan or the country could end up paying a heavy price.

“India should give respect to Pakistan as it has an atom bomb! If we don’t give them respect, they’ll think of using an atom bomb against India,” Mr Aiyar had said.

The Congress leader’s remarks had gone viral days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other top BJP leaders warned that Indian forces would enter Pakistan to kill any terrorist who escapes.

New Delhi:

Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Tuesday “unreservedly” apologized for “mistakenly” using the word ‘alleged’ for the Chinese invasion in 1962.

According to a purported video of an event at the Foreign Correspondents Club this evening, Mr Aiyar while narrating an anecdote said, “…In October 1962, the Chinese allegedly invaded India.”

Later, in a brief statement, the Congress leader said, “I unreservedly apologise for having mistakenly used the word ‘alleged’ before ‘Chinese invasion’ at the Foreign Correspondents Club this evening.”

Mr Aiyar, who has stoked controversies in the past with his comments, made the remarks at the launch of a book “Nehru’s First Recruits”. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kandhamal, Odisha:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar over his “Pakistan has an atom bomb” remark and accused the party of “finding ways” of scaring the people, adding that “yeh mare pade log, desh ke mann ko bhi maar rahe hain” (These people, who are virtually dead, are trying to kill the soul of the country).

In an April 15 interview with ‘Chill Pill’ Aiyar, Mr Aiyar said that “Pakistan is a ‘respected nation’ that also possesses an atom bomb so India must enter into a dialogue with them.”

Addressing a public meeting in Odisha’s Kandhamal, PM Modi took a jibe at Pakistan’s economy and said that while the “country had atom bombs,” it was looking for someone to sell them but was unable to do so due to its “poor quality.”

“Time and again, Congress tries to scare its own country. They say, ‘sambhal ke chalo Pakistan ke pass atom bomb hai. Ye mare pade log, desh ke man ko bhi maar rahe hain’. They talk about Pakistan’s bomb, but the condition of Pakistan is such that they don’t know how to keep them and they are looking for a buyer to sell their bombs but no one wants to buy them as people know about the quality,” the Prime Minister said.

He further asserted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir faced terrorism for 60 years because of Congress.

“Due to this attitude of Congress, the people of Jammu and Kashmir faced terrorism for 60 years and the nation witnessed several terror attacks. Nation will never forget that they used to have meetings with terrorist organisations. They didn’t dare to initiate an investigation against them after the 26/11 attack because they did not have the guts to take action against the terrorists involved in the attack. The people of the INDI alliance used to think that their vote bank would get affected,” he said.

PM Modi said that India has made up their mind that the NDA will cross 400 in the Lok Sabha elections.

“India has made up their mind that the NDA will cross 400 (in Lok Sabha). The people of Congress must note that the country has now decided that on June 4, they won’t get the seats that are needed to be the opposition, they will be limited below 50 seats,” he said.

The Prime Minister further asserted that in Odisha, the BJP will form a double-engine government in the state.

“For the first time, there will be a double-engine govt in Odisha,” he said.

WHAT MANI SHANKAR AIYAR SAID

Mr Aiyar had said there have been no efforts from India to reach out to Pakistan in the last ten years.

“They are also a sovereign country (Pakistan). They are a respected nation. You can talk tough with them (Pakistan). But start the dialogue. You are walking with a gun which yielded you nothing. Tensions are escalating. And if a mad person comes there, what will happen to the nation? They have an atom bomb. We also possess the atomic bomb. But if a mad person detonates our bomb at Lahore station, so within eight seconds, eight moments, its radioactivity will reach Amritsar,” Mr Aiyar said.

He added, “So you should prevent the use of atomic bombs. But, if you start a dialogue with them (Pakistan) and encourage them (by considering them as), then they should start thinking about their atomic bomb. But if you snub them, then a mad person will come and detonate the bomb. Then what will happen?”

The state of Odisha will hold Assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections in four phases from May 13 to June 1, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.

In the 2019 Assembly election, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won 112 out of 146 seats, while Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 23 seats and Congress won 9.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won the majority of seats in the state, while the BJP and the Congress brought up the rear. The BJD won 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second at 8, and the Congress bagged just a lone seat.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar urging the government to ‘respect Pakistan’ because of its atom bombs triggered a political storm on Friday.

Anticipating the fallout of Mr Aiyar’s statements in an election season, the Congress was quick to dissociate and distance itself from his remarks but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to latch on to his objectionable remarks and trained guns on the grand old party for their “love” and purported “fondness” for the neighbouring nation.

Many BJP leaders took umbrage at Mr Aiyar’s ‘eulogy’ of Pakistan at the cost of India and said that this was a clear reflection of the Congress mindset as he was no ordinary leader but one among the party’s policymakers.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that it was Mr Aiyar’s personal views and also went on to say that today’s India was 100 times stronger than before.

“Mani Shankar Aiyar has put his thoughts on Pakistan but today’s India is 100 times more powerful than Pakistan,” Mr Kharge told media persons in Telangana and also recalled how the Indira regime fractured the neighbouring nation in two parts.

Congress Spokesperson Pawan Khera, in a video statement, said that the party distances itself completely from Aiyar’s statements. He however pointed to BJP’s deliberate digging of old videos to deflect attention from daily goof-ups by the Prime Minister. He also asked the BJP to explain, in what context EAM Jaishankar spoke about China.

He also made a reference to Indira Gandhi’s strong leadership in bifurcating Pakistan into two in 1971.

After Mr Aiyar’s video went viral, Union Ministers and top BJP leaders have hit out at the Congress as well as Mr Aiyar for his remarks.

Anurag Thakur said that this shows Congress leaders’ “love” for Pakistan.

“They live in India but their hearts reside in Pakistan. This shows how Congress ideology works and how they align with foreign hands,” he said.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told media persons that Congress has become an ‘apologist for Pakistan and Pakistan-based terror’ and also trained guns at Rahul’s leadership.

“‘Rahul’s Congress ideology’ is fully visible in these elections. Support to and from terror-linked organisations and people like SDPI, Yasin Malik. Rampant Corruption and loot of money meant for the poor. Appease the Muslim community at all costs,” he said.

BJP Spokesperson Rohan Gupta speaking to IANS said that Mr Aiyar’s comments can’t be taken lightly.

“He is someone who drafted policies for Congress, he is no ordinary leader. His remarks reflect Congress’s thought process and this shows how the party’s love for Pakistan supersedes everything. People will not forgive them,” he said.

Mani Shankar Aiyar made the “respect Pakistan” remark while speaking to a YouTube channel Chill Pill last month.

“You are roaming with a gun. Nothing could be resolved by that. Tensions only increase. They have an atom bomb. Yes, we also have. But… talk to them. Give them respect,” he had said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Congress today distanced itself from senior party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks that India should respect Pakistan so that they don’t drop an atom bomb on us.

“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,” Pawan Khera said in a post on X.

“Mr Aiyer does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever,” Mr Khera added.

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… pic.twitter.com/MQAPR0MXfx

— Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) May 10, 2024

Earlier today, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked Mr Aiyar over his remarks on India-Pakistan ties. BJP leaders said that Mr Aiyar’s remarks that India should be scared of Pakistan reflected “Congress’s ideology”.

In an interview that has gone now gone viral, Mr Aiyar says, “India should give respect to Pakistan as it has an atom bomb! If we don’t give them respect, they’ll think of using an atom bomb against India.”

He indicated in the video that if a “mad person” comes to power there and uses the atom bomb, it will not be good for us.

“You should talk to them. 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),” he said.

New Delhi:

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has come under fire after he said that India should engage in dialogue with Pakistan or the country could end up paying a heavy price. Mr Aiyar said that Pakistan has nuclear bombs which they could drop on India if our governments irked them.

“You should talk to them. 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),” he said.  

“We have them too, but if a ‘madman’ decides to drop a bomb on Lahore, it won’t take 8 seconds for the radiation to reach Amritsar,” he added.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked Mr Aiyar for his remarks saying that this reflects the Congress’s “ideology” for India.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar, sharing the video on X, said “Rahul’s Cong “idealogy” is fully visible in these elections. Support to and from Pakistan including offrng to give up Siachen. Dividing people, Lies, Abuse and fake guarantees to mislead poor and vulnerable (sic).”

Rahuls Cong “idealogy” is fully visible in these elections

Support to and from Pakistan incldg offrng to give up Siachen
Support to and from domestic terror-linked organizations and people like SDPI, Yasin Malik
Rampant Corruption and loot of money meant for poor… pic.twitter.com/UABONLzNFN

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Modiyude Kutumbam) (@Rajeev_GoI) May 10, 2024

BJP leader and Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan also took a jibe at Mr Aiyar, saying that the Congress leader should get treated somewhere as Pakistan is currently struggling for food.

“At this time Pakistan is collecting foodgrains for itself. They are facing a food crisis…Mani Shankar Aiyar should get himself treated somewhere. This is not the India of Congress. Now, India is very powerful. This is the India of PM Modi,” Mr Kishan said.

The Congress leader’s remarks come just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other top BJP leaders warned that Indian forces would enter Pakistan to kill any terrorist who escapes.

“During the Congress regime, the news headlines were about India handing over another dossier to Pakistan about terror activities. It used to be big news. Today, India doesn’t send dossiers. Aaj Bharat ghar mein ghus ke marta hai (Today, India eliminates terrorists on their home turf),” PM Modi said at an election rally in Maharashtra’s Latur.