NEW DELHI: After Narendra Modi yesterday accused the Congress of colluding with Pakistan, the Congress said the real colluder is the BJP, whose government gave Pakistani intelligence officials access to the country's top air force base in Pathankot after a terror attack there.
The Congress also wondered "who really has Pakistan love" considering the PM dashed off to that country on an unplanned visit, on an event in then PM Nawaz Sharif's family.
"Who has Pakistan love? Everyone knows who does...After terror attacks in Udhampur (August 2015) and Gurdaspur (July 2015), who went like the proverbial uninvited guest to Pakistan to attend the wedding of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter," asked Congress spokesman RS Surjewala, talking about the PM's shock Christmas 2015 trip to Lahore.
Far from any Congress collusion, said Surjewala, it is the Modi government that needs to be questioned about its highly suspect actions vis-a-vis Pakistan.
"If he wants to fight the Gujarat elections in Pakistan, I want to ask who invited people from the (Pakistani intelligence agency) ISI to come to one of India's most important defence bases in Pathankot? At that time, (BJP president) Amit Shah said, 'we have faith in Pakistan investigating the role of attackers form their soil'. And, Modi ji, you are asking us questions about Pakistan?" thundered Surjewala.
Modi yesterday made the stunning charge that the Congress and elements in Pakistan may be working in cahoots to prevent a BJP victory in Gujarat. He also talked of a recent "secret three-hour meeting" attended by Congress and Pakistani officials.
Without furnishing proof, Modi claimed the meeting took place in (now suspended) Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house and was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, its former foreign minister, former PM Manmohan Singh, and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari.
The Congress said that such blatantly false allegations didn't behoove the office of the Prime Minister.
"I'm very disappointed in the way the PM thinks, someone of his standing, of his position is getting into such patently false conspiracy theories...I want to say something to him on behalf of India and the Congress, that these allegations don't behoove his status (as PM) and his age and experience," said Surjewala.
He accused Modi of "spinning such fantasies" because he is worried that the BJP is going to fare poorly in Gujarat
"Gujarat elections should be fought on issues, but there the PM has no leg to stand on and he's scared, that's why he's making the kind of allegations that have neither head or tail," said Surjewala.
Another Congress leader asked PM Modi to expel the Pakistani high commissioner if he believed the neighbour was interfering in the Gujarat elections.
"Modi is back to the same old bogey - Pakistan - to deflect. It was Mian Musharraf in 2002 despite Musharraf having been invited by then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Agra in 2001; he lied about Sir Creek in 2012 and is now claiming that Pakistan is interfering in Gujarat polls. Why don't you expel the Pakistani high commissioner if the charge is true?"
Tewari said it was Modi who had repeatedly engaged Pakistan despite terrorism while the UPA steered clear of the recalcitrant neighbour all through its tenure. He added BJP governments over the years had followed a poor Pakistan policy while being opportunistic in using the neighbour to polarise the electorate.
The Congress also wondered "who really has Pakistan love" considering the PM dashed off to that country on an unplanned visit, on an event in then PM Nawaz Sharif's family.
"Who has Pakistan love? Everyone knows who does...After terror attacks in Udhampur (August 2015) and Gurdaspur (July 2015), who went like the proverbial uninvited guest to Pakistan to attend the wedding of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter," asked Congress spokesman RS Surjewala, talking about the PM's shock Christmas 2015 trip to Lahore.
Far from any Congress collusion, said Surjewala, it is the Modi government that needs to be questioned about its highly suspect actions vis-a-vis Pakistan.
"If he wants to fight the Gujarat elections in Pakistan, I want to ask who invited people from the (Pakistani intelligence agency) ISI to come to one of India's most important defence bases in Pathankot? At that time, (BJP president) Amit Shah said, 'we have faith in Pakistan investigating the role of attackers form their soil'. And, Modi ji, you are asking us questions about Pakistan?" thundered Surjewala.
Modi yesterday made the stunning charge that the Congress and elements in Pakistan may be working in cahoots to prevent a BJP victory in Gujarat. He also talked of a recent "secret three-hour meeting" attended by Congress and Pakistani officials.
Without furnishing proof, Modi claimed the meeting took place in (now suspended) Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house and was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, its former foreign minister, former PM Manmohan Singh, and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari.
The Congress said that such blatantly false allegations didn't behoove the office of the Prime Minister.
"I'm very disappointed in the way the PM thinks, someone of his standing, of his position is getting into such patently false conspiracy theories...I want to say something to him on behalf of India and the Congress, that these allegations don't behoove his status (as PM) and his age and experience," said Surjewala.
He accused Modi of "spinning such fantasies" because he is worried that the BJP is going to fare poorly in Gujarat
"Gujarat elections should be fought on issues, but there the PM has no leg to stand on and he's scared, that's why he's making the kind of allegations that have neither head or tail," said Surjewala.
Another Congress leader asked PM Modi to expel the Pakistani high commissioner if he believed the neighbour was interfering in the Gujarat elections.
"Modi is back to the same old bogey - Pakistan - to deflect. It was Mian Musharraf in 2002 despite Musharraf having been invited by then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Agra in 2001; he lied about Sir Creek in 2012 and is now claiming that Pakistan is interfering in Gujarat polls. Why don't you expel the Pakistani high commissioner if the charge is true?"
Tewari said it was Modi who had repeatedly engaged Pakistan despite terrorism while the UPA steered clear of the recalcitrant neighbour all through its tenure. He added BJP governments over the years had followed a poor Pakistan policy while being opportunistic in using the neighbour to polarise the electorate.
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