Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks on ‘removing Modi’ spark row

As the ruling BJP attacked senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, accusing him of making “anti-India” statements on a Pakistani television channel, the Congress on Tuesday defended him, arguing that there was nothing objectionable in his remarks.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told that soon after the controversy, Mr. Aiyar wrote to party president Sonia Gandhi, assuring her that he did not make any thoughtless remark in the debate.

In a debate hosted by Duniya TV, Mr. Aiyar had said peace talks could be resurrected only if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was removed from his post.

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.”

BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli termed the remarks as “extremely serious, worrisome and completely incorrect.” Last week Mr. Aiyar’s remarks, in the wake of the Paris terror attacks, that the West should end the “anti-Islam phobia” and that Muslims living in France should be provided with the assurance that they are “also citizens of the country” created a row.

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Source:Thehindu