In a sharp reaction to Mani Shankar Aiyar book in which he called that P V Narasimha Rao was the country’s first BJP PM, the saffron party said the Congress leader presented the soul of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in a written format.
The reaction of the saffron party came a day after the release of Aiyar’s autobiography titled ‘Memoirs of a Maverick: The First Fifty Years (1941-1991)’.
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Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “2024 elections are approaching, and ‘mukut mani’ (Mani Shankar Aiyar) has shone once again. This time he not only spoke but also wrote a book. He spoke especially on three Ps – Parivaarvaad, Pakshapaat, and Pakistan.”
In his book, Aiyar, apart from dubbing the former prime minister as the country’s first BJP PM, alleged that he had “communal” tendencies.
In the autobiography, the former diplomat advocated renewed dialogue with Pakistan. He expressed the view that while there is the resolve to carry out surgical strikes against Pakistan, there is a lack of willingness to engage in diplomatic talks with the country.
Reacting to this, the BJP spokesperson said, “PV Narasimha Rao was the PM from Congress and the kind of words that have been used for him clearly shows that the Gandhi family’s spokesperson can’t tolerate someone other than somebody from the Gandhi family becoming the PM, even if the person is from the Congress party. Through Mani Shankar Aiyar, it has been said that PV Narasimha Rao was BJP’s and not Congress.”
He further said, “Whatever Mani Shankar Aiyar writes, speaks and projects, the pen and the tongue may be his but the ideas and objectives are of the Gandhi family.”
“Yesterday was a big day for India as Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the moon. But at that time Mani Shankar Aiyar said India could never become Vishwa Guru because India is ignoring Pakistan. India has proved its mettle,” Patra said.
The Congress has not reacted to Mani Shankar Aiyar’s comments as yet.
