On Sunday, the Prime Minister of India during an election rally alleged the Congress of various acts against him. He stated the former Congress Leader Mani Shankar Aiyar called him neech (vile man.) He also stated the Congress met Pakistani officials and plotted against him.
Modi said, “There were media reports yesterday about a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house. It was attended by Pakistan’s high commissioner, Pakistan’s former foreign minister, India’s former vice president and former prime minister Manmohan Singh.” He also added the meeting went on for almost three hours and the next day Aiyar called him neech.
Along with his usual tantrums, Modi stated about a Facebook post by a former Director General of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq. In the Facebook post Arshad showed his support saying that Senior Congress Leader Ahmed Patel should be the next Gujarat Chief Minister.
Patel shot back at Modi in a tweet, “It’s a foregone conclusion that he has abdicated the politics of development in both action and words. But does it befit the stature of the Prime Minister to rely on canards, rumours and lies just for an election? This is very sad.”
This is not the first time Modi has accused Pakistan of interfering in the elections. Last year, ahead of the Assam election, Modi stated if the Congress won, fireworks will go off in Pakistan.
Modi during the election campaign asked, “Pakistan army’s former DG is interfering in Gujarat’s election, on the other, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don’t you think such events raise doubts?”
Accusing the Congress of corruption Modi said, “Those who had made corruption their habit cannot help the country. I took the State to new economic height but these Congress leaders used caste politics to break Gujarat. I remember Viramgam used to have frequent curfews in the past as a result.”
On Sunday, the Congress National Spokesperson Manish Tewari said, “Modi is back to the same old Pakistan bogey. It was Mian Musharraf in 2002, Sir Creek issues in 2012 and now he’s talking about Pakistan’s interference in Gujarat polls. If Modi thinks that Pakistan is meddling in Gujarat polls, why doesn’t he expel the Pakistani High Commissioner in India?
The Congress Spokesman Randeep Surjewala called Modi’s claims baseless. Surjewala said, “Holding the country’s topmost post, Modiji is making baseless allegations. Modiji is worried, dejected, angry. Such a statement has no truth or fact and is based on lies. Such a behaviour is unbecoming of a Prime Minister.”
Surjewala questioned Modi if he plans to contest the elections on Pakistan related issues. He asked Modi to tell the people of Gujarat why Modi trusted the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) and allowed their entry to Pathankot Airforce Base for investigation.
Surjewala also questioned Modi on his visit to Pakistan to attend the wedding of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s granddaughter. Modi’s Pakistan visit was soon after the Pakistan sponsored terrorist attacks at Gurdaspur and Udhampur. Surjewala added that the Modi Government failed to arrest the terrorist Dawood Ibrahim’s wife. She reached Mumbai from Pakistan and flew back but the Modi Government failed to nab her.
Surjewala said, “We would also like to ask him as to why no action was taken against former minister in the BJP Government in Maharashtra Eknath Khadse, who was removed after Indian agencies taped his conversation with Dawood Ibrahim.”
Surjewala also claimed the Minister of Maharashtra Girish Mahajan attended the marriage of Dawood Ibrahim’s daughter. He also pointed out the 11 BJP Leaders including the Head of Madhya Pradesh’s IT cell Dhruv Saxena getting were arrested for working with ISI.
