'Who Is Mani Shankar Aiyar?': Congress Distances Itself From 'China Allegedly Invaded India In 1962' Remark

A day after veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's controversial remark on Chinese invasion in 1962, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday distanced the Congress party from the remark and said that the former union minister made the remarks in his 'personal capacity.'

'China allegedly invaded India in 1962': Mani Shankar Aiyar

Within days since his last controversial remark on respecting Pakistan as they have atomic bomb, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's another remark suggesting an alleged Chinese invasion in October 1962 triggered a fresh political row.

Aiyar, while speaking at the launch of the book 'Nehru's First Recruits' at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Delhi on Tuesday, said, "In October 1962, the Chinese allegedly invaded India.”

While the BJP termed the controversial remark "a brazen attempt at revisionism", Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh earlier said that the veteran party leader has "subsequently apologised unreservedly for using the term 'alleged invasion' mistakenly".

Who is Mani Shankar Aiyar?: Jairam Ramesh

However, answering further questions on the matter, Ramesh on Wednesday said, “Who is Mani Shankar Aiyar? He is not an official, he is a former MP and a former minister. He speaks whatever he wants in his personal capacity.”

"We have nothing to do with it... Media, BJP's troll army and social media keep running it. Today, he has nothing to do with the Congress party. He is in the Congress party but he is not even an MP, he is just a former MP," he added.

Furthermore, Ramesh also launched a verbal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent “sent by god” remarks, and his comments on how "no one knew Mahatma Gandhi before 'Gandhi' (1982) movie was released."

"The language PM Modi is using, the way he is demeaning Congress and INDIA bloc leaders. He is spreading the pandemic of lies...now it seems he has even lost his mental balance. The elections are fought between people, here he (PM Modi) is calling himself as God...what kind of a person he is, how can he be trusted," the Congress leader said.

"Today, he said that no one knew Mahatma Gandhi before 1982. The environment that was created by his party led to the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. Godse is worshipped today. Our current PM is associated with the same ideology," he added.