Talk was on Pakistan ties, say three of Mani Shankar Aiyar’s dinner guests

Chinmaya Gharekhan, a former special envoy of the Prime Minister on west Asia from 2005 to 2009, said: “I can say that there was absolutely no mention, let alone discussion, of Gujarat or any other domestic political issue, Indian or Pakistani.”

At least three participants in the dinner meeting hosted by Mani Shankar Aiyar have sought to set the record straight, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that there was a “secret meeting” including senior Pakistani officials at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house in Delhi before the Gujarat Assembly polls. Sharat Sabharwal, a former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan from 2009-2013, and deputy high commissioner from 1995-1999, said: “It was only a discussion on India and Pakistan relations, in the nature of many such discussions. There was nothing to do with internal political scenario.”

Chinmaya Gharekhan, a former special envoy of the Prime Minister on west Asia from 2005 to 2009, said: “I can say that there was absolutely no mention, let alone discussion, of Gujarat or any other domestic political issue, Indian or Pakistani.”

Rahul Singh, writer and journalist, said that he was “appalled” and that “there was no mention whatsoever of India’s domestic politics, nor of the Gujarat election”. “I am appalled at the insidious and entirely false twist that has been given by certain quarters to a private dinner. I was one of his guests. The dinner was for the former Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Kasuri, who had come to Delhi on a private visit to attend a wedding,” Singh said.

“There were a total of about 15 guests. The discussion was on Indo-Pak relations. There was no mention whatsoever of India’s domestic politics, nor of the Gujarat election. Dr Manmohan Singh and the Pakistan High Commissioner took no part in the discussion… How this has been construed by some irresponsible people as a Pakistani “conspiracy” to interfere in the Gujarat election beats me!” he said.