'PV Narasimha Rao first BJP PM': Pen, tongue that of Mani Shankar Aiyar, ideas are of Gandhi family, says Sambit Patra

The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader and former diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar for calling PV Narasimha Rao the first BJP Prime Minister of India. Rao led a Congress government and served as the ninth prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996. “PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister from Congress and the kind of words that have been used for him clearly show that Gandhi family’s spokesperson can’t tolerate someone other than somebody from Gandhi family becoming the PM, even if the person is from the Congress party…Through Mani Shankar Aiyar it has been said that PV Narasimha Rao was BJP’s and not Congress’…,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

VIDEO | "The kind of words that were used for PV Narasimha Rao shows that the Gandhi family cannot tolerate if anyone else becomes the prime minister of the country even if he is a Congress leader," says BJP leader @sambitswaraj at a press conference on Mani Shankar Aiyar's… pic.twitter.com/CV0K8QNPGj

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 24, 2023

On Wednesday, Aiyar alleged that Narasimha Rao was “communal” and described him as the “the first BJP PM” of the country. Intensifying his attack on the Congress party, Patra said: “One should be extremely clear whatever Mani Shankar Aiyar writes, speaks, or projects, the pen and tongue may be of Mani Shankar Aiyar, but the ideas and objectives are of the Gandhi family. He represents the Gandhi family as no other.”

VIDEO | "One should be extremely clear whatever Mani Shankar Aiyar writes, speaks, or projects, the pen and tongue may be of Mani Shankar Aiyar, but the ideas and objectives are of the Gandhi family. He represents the Gandhi family as no other," says BJP leader @sambitswaraj at a… pic.twitter.com/gieisADghE

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 24, 2023

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“…2024 elections are approaching and ‘mukut mani’ (Mani Shankar Aiyar) has shone once again. This time he not only spoke but also wrote a book. He spoke especially on three Ps - Parivaarvaad, Pakshapaat and Pakistan…The soul of the alliance (INDIA) has been presented by Mani Shankar Aiyar in a written format…,” Patra said.

#WATCH | BJP leader Sambit Patra says, "...2024 elections are approaching and 'mukut mani' (Mani Shankar Aiyar) has shone once again. This time he not only spoke but also wrote a book. He spoke especially on three Ps - Parivaarvaad, Pakshapaat and Pakistan...The soul of the… pic.twitter.com/JAUorybeY9

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2023

‘India has already proved its mettle’ Hitting out at Aiyar, the BJP spokesperson said, “…Yesterday was such a big day. India achieved a milestone, Chandrayaan landed in the (lunar) South Pole. At the same time, a press conference by Mani Shankar Aiyar comes wherein he says, ‘India can never be a ‘Vishwaguru’ because India is ignoring Pakistan. If India can’t establish peace with its western neighbour, if India can’t talk to Pakistan, it can never lead the world’…India has already proved its mettle…”

#WATCH | BJP leader Sambit Patra says, "...Yesterday was such a big day. India achieved a milestone, Chandrayaan landed in the (lunar) South Pole. At the same time, a press conference by Mani Shankar Aiyar comes wherein he says, "India can never be a 'Vishwaguru' because India is… pic.twitter.com/hmD6SPHipy

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2023

Aiyar’s autobiography “Memoirs of a Maverick – The First Fifty Years (1941-1991)” hit the stands on Monday. In his book, he also batted for resumption of dialogue with Pakistan, saying that when it comes to that country, “we have the courage to carry out surgical strikes against them, but we don’t have the guts to sit across the table and talk to a Pakistani”. At his book launch event, Aiyar said he discovered “how communal and how Hindu-oriented” PV Narasimha Rao was. He went on to narrate a conversation he had with Rao at a time when he was carrying out ‘Ram-Rahim’ yatra. “Narasimha Rao told me that he had no objection to my yatra, but he disagreed with my definition of secularism. I said what is wrong with my definition of secularism. He said Mani you don’t seem to understand that this is a Hindu country. I sat up in my chair and said that is exactly what the BJP says,” the Congress leader recounted. Aiyar further said the first BJP prime minister was not Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the “first BJP PM” was Rao, he said. With inputs from agencies