Amit Shah retorts to Mani Shankar Aiyar's remark on Pakistan: ‘Not scared of atom bombs’

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reiterated his criticism of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's 'respect Pakistan' remarks.

Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli, Shah asserted that India is not scared of nuclear bombs and that Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir remains an integrated part of India. Follow full coverage of the Lok Sabha elections here.

“Rahul Baba's (Gandhi) advisor is Mani Shankar Aiyar. He said, give respect to Pakistan, don't talk about PoK. Why shouldn't we? He responded because they have an atomic bomb,” Shah said at the rally.

“...I want to ask you, if Pakistan has atom bombs, should we leave PoK? I promise you today, we don't get scared of atom bombs. PoK belongs to India, and no one can take it away from us..."

Before this, Shah had also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over Shankar's remarks at an election rally in Pratapgarh in support of BJP candidate from Kaushambi (SC) Lok Sabha seat.

He said that Gandhi could be scared of an “atom bomb” but the BJP is not.

“Rahul baba, if you want to be scared of the atom bomb, then be scared, we are not scared,” Shah was quoted as saying by PTI. “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir belongs to India, and we will take it.”

What Mani Shankar Aiyyar said?

In an interview with a YouTube channel, Chill Pill, posted on April 15, Aiyar said that India should engage in dialogue with Pakistan as it possesses an atomic bomb.

“India should give respect to Pakistan as it has an atom bomb. If we don’t give them respect, they will think of using an atomic bomb against India,” he said.

Aiyar's remarks were criticised by the BJP, which accused the Congress of becoming an apologist of Pakistan and Pakistan-based terror.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke about Aiyar's remark and said that the Congress only creates fear psychosis in the minds of people using the nuclear bomb threat, and added that people know that Pakistan’s nuclear bomb is not of good quality.

The Congress, however, distanced itself from Aiyar’s statements, with party spokesperson Pawan Khera saying, “INC and indeed the entire nation recalls with pride that in December 1971 Pakistan was broken and Bangladesh emerged thanks to Indira Gandhi’s decisive and determined leadership and the valour of our armed forces.”