Pakistan working with Congress to beat BJP in Gujarat polls, claims India’s PM

HYDERABAD: In the latest among a string of controversial utterances that have heated up the Gujarat poll campaign, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that Congress and elements in Pakistan may be working in cahoots to prevent a BJP victory in the state.

Speaking at Palanpur in north Gujarat on Sunday, Modi claimed that a retired DG of the Pakistan Army, Arshad Rafiq, wanted to see Ahmed Patel, political adviser to Sonia Gandhi, as Gujarat CM, and former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri and its high commissioner had met Congress leaders.

“While there are discussions in Pakistan about making Ahmed Patel CM, Pakistan’s high commissioner, its former foreign minister, former PM Manmohan Singh, and former Vice-President (Hamid) Ansariji met at Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house,” the PM said. “The next day, a statement was made that Modi is ‘neech’.”

The charge of a Pakistan hand in allegedly destabilising or influencing the election takes the bitterly fought election to a new low after Aiyar sparked a full blown controversy with his “neech” reference to Modi and the PM’s call to voters to avenge the insult.

The alleged meeting between Pakistani leaders saw Modi attack Congress in what came across as a bid to play the polarising card by sticking a “pro-Pak” label on Congress.

Modi said the ‘secret meeting’ lasted three hours. “This is an issue of serious concern. We suffer a lot due to Pakistan’s actions, and you (the Congress) conducted meetings behind closed doors?” Modi said. “You should’ve had an official of the Government of India in the meeting, and informed the government about what transpired.” He had earlier accused Rahul Gandhi of “hugging” the Chinese ambassador at the height of the Doklam stand off.

Modi called Aiyar’s comment “an insult to the 125 crore people of India as well as to the post of the PM”. Aiyar was suspended from Congress following his comment. He later apologised for the remark.