Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 12 (ANI): BJP MLA Bhavana Bohra on Monday criticised Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks regarding ‘stopping Operation Sindoor’, implying he’s aligned with a particular family and party that’s soft on Pakistan — Congress.
Speaking with ANI, Bohra contrasted this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stance, saying it’s time for a strong response.
“Everyone is well aware of which family he has been close to and which party he belongs to. When there was a Congress government at the Centre, at that time, when Pakistan attacked India, they kept saying that a peace agreement was being made. Now it’s the era of Modi ji, and now it’s not just about talks but the time to respond in a befitting way,” Bohra said.
This comes after a video surfaced of senior Congress leader and former minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, in which he advised the current BJP government to hold talks with Pakistan to end tensions after Operation Sindoor, India’s strategic military response launched in May 2025 following a major terror attack in Pahalgam.
Aiyar advocated for an “uninterrupted and uninterruptible” dialogue with Islamabad, cautioning that a hardline stance against a nuclear-armed neighbour could lead to a “madman” triggering a catastrophe.
Operation Sindoor was initiated on May 7, 2025, as a tri-services action targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK after 26 people were killed in Pahalgam. While the government maintains that the operation is “still ongoing.”
Aiyar’s plea to terminate it has provided fresh ammunition to the BJP and its ideological affiliates.
The BJP has echoed Bansal’s sentiments, with its spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, mockingly referring to the Congress as the “Islamabad National Congress.”
Notably, this is not the first time that Aiyar’s controversial statements have landed him in trouble. Mani Shankar Aiyar’s previous statements have also sparked controversy.
On August 28, 2025, he criticised India’s approach to Pakistan, saying “no one listens” despite efforts to expose Pakistan over Pahalgam attack. “We are the only ones who keep saying with folded hands, ‘Alas, alas, Pakistan is responsible,’ but no one is willing to accept it.”
On March 5, 2025, Aiyar questioned Rajiv Gandhi’s education, saying he “failed twice” yet became PM. “It’s surprising how a person with such a weak education record became Prime Minister” adding, “When Rajiv became Prime Minister, I thought he was an airline pilot. He had failed twice–how could such a person become Prime Minister?”
On January 1, 2025, he suggested India host Sheikh Hasina “for life” after her refuge. “Sheikh Hasina has done a lot of good for us. We will never disagree with that. I am glad she has been given refuge. I feel that as long as Hasina wants, we should be her hosts, even if it is for a lifetime.” (ANI)