Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused Indian diplomat-turned-politician Mani Shankar Aiyar of visiting Pakistan to arrange his contract killing (supari), the Hindu reported.
Speaking at a public meeting in the small town of Bhabhar in Banaskantha district in north Gujarat, India, Mr Modi also accused Mr Aiyar of visiting Pakistan to arrange his [Modi’s] supari (contract killing).
“After I became the prime minister, Aiyar went to Pakistan and met some Pakistanis. All this thing is available on the social media. In that meeting, he is seen ‘discussing’ with Pakistanis that ‘Jab tak Modi ko raste se hataya nahi jata‘(until Modi is not removed from the way), relations between India and Pakistan cannot improve,” Modi said.
“Someone tell me what is the meeting of raste se hatana? You had gone to Pakistan to give my supari; you wanted to give Modi’s supari,” the Indian premier quipped.
“This conversation took place three years back. The Congress party had tried to suppress this episode…They did not take any action against him for last three years,” Modi alleged, adding, “What is my crime? This country’s [India] people have elected me in a democratic way, and you go to Pakistan and say that this man is coming in the way and remove him!”
Modi also thrashed Aiyar for calling him ‘neech aadmi’ (lowly person) as he termed the Congress a caste-based party.
Meanwhile, Aiyar said he was ready to accept any punishment if the party suffers damage in the Gujarat polls due to his Thursday’s “neech aadmi” comment.
“If the Congress has suffered any damage because of what I have said, then I deeply regret it,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an India-Pakistan seminar.