Congress party has some lysosomic elements in its brackets. Whenever elections are nearing, these elements get activated to make sure that the Congress party eats itself. Mani Shankar Aiyar, one of the most controversial figures in Congress’s high ranks is again back from the dead to sink Congress’ boat in UP.
Mani Shankar Aiyar tries to create a rift between India and Russia
At a time when Vladimir Putin and PM Modi are trying to make sure that India and Russia become permanent allies in the war against terrorism, poverty, and many other menaces; Mani Shankar Aiyar has used the stage of civil society of both countries to spew venom against India’s diplomacy and the war on terrorism.
Read more: Putin showers praise on India at an internal meeting with Russian foreign ministry officials
Speaking at the India-Russian society program in Delhi, the veteran leader propagated that military spending is the main reason behind poverty and malnutrition in human society. Here, Aiyar was referring to India’s increased focus on strengthening defense forces.
Accusing that the Modi government is modernising and empowering the army because it wants to destroy the world, Aiyar said, “We should work in a focused manner to make us prosperous. But instead of that, we are spending crores to empower the army to destroy the world. The amount we are investing in defenceequipment to annihilate the world, if we used that in education, health, and nutrition, we can remove the world from poverty. We should spend for maintaining peace,”
India has become ‘slave’ to America: Mani Shankar Aiyar
Aiyar’s sense-making apparatus uttered some more nonsensical stuff in the program. He went on to claim that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, India has become a slave and therefore subservient to America and its interests.
Elaborating his point on the ‘slave’ comment, Aiyar said, “In the last 7 years, we are seeing that there is no talk of non-alignment. There is no talk of peace. We have become American slaves and they say that avoid China. Let us say that you(Prime Minister Modi) are the closest friend of China. The relations between India and Russia are years old, but since the Modi government has come, this relationship has weakened. The relations we used to have with Russia till 2014 have shrunk considerably. I am hurt a lot.”
Aiyar further said that India has become a rabbit that is dwindling between two headlights called Pakistan and China. He also claimed that America has taken advantage of this situation and has enslaved us. Keeping Aiyar’s past pro-Pakistan stance in mind, it can be clearly seen that Aiyar is trying to nudge the Modi government to start bonhomie with the terrorist nation as well as China.
According to Mani Shankar, Mughals were patriots
Recently, Aiyar, who is supposed to be erudite and well-read considering that he has been a diplomat, caused an uproar when he claimed that Mughals were patriotic and loyal to India.
Speaking on the occasion of former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru’s birthday, Aiyar had said that Mughals never committed any atrocities towards Indians. Citing the 1872 census in which India was found to be composed of 72 percent Hindus and 24 percent Muslims, Aiyar claimed that it was proof that Muslim invaders did not commit any atrocities towards Hindus.
He seemed to be oblivious of the fact that if not for invading, there would be zero Muslims in India. In the same breath, he also called BJP an exclusionary party and claimed that it doesn’t consider non-Hindus as Indians.
Aiyar then went on to claim that it was only Jawahar Lal Nehru who understood the diversity in India, therefore he deserves credit. Here again, Aiyar’s propaganda against the Sanatan civilization is crystal clear. India that is Bharat has been tolerant towards everyone from time immemorial. Although, it was Nehru’s forced Secularism, which has led to division in the country.
Aiyar- A man whose fuel is controversy
If Rahul Gandhi is loved by members for his ill-timed interventions, Mani Shankar Aiyar is one of the most loathed ‘intellectuals’ in the Congress party.
As reported by TFI, in the year 2000, Mani Shankar Aiyar made the headlines when he called Amar Singh a racist. In an inebriated state, he told Amar that since Sonia is a foreigner, that’s why Amar won’t allow her to become a PM. In 2017, firstly he called PM Modi a ‘neech aadmi’ and then in 2019 went on to claim that his remarks were prophetic.
Read more: Mani Shankar Aiyer: a history of utterly insensitive interviews and statements
Apart from being loose-tongued, Aiyar has been in the headlines for openly supporting Kashmiri separatists and Pakistan.
As UP elections are approaching, the Congress party seems to have no important issues to talk on. Their star campaigner Priyanka Vadra has failed to gain any momentum in spite of her lofty and rhetorical promises. Similarly, after the withdrawal of farm laws, even farmers have drifted away from her. In these circumstances, only controversial figures like Aiyar can garner some headlines. Though, headlines never translate into votes.