New Delhi, Apr 10: The Congress on Wednesday said Pakistan has now “officially allied” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a vote for him would mean a vote for the neighbouring country.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, however, said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s design and wish will never come true as people of the country will defeat Modi in this Lok Sabha election as they never allow forces that perpetuate and propagate hatred and division in the country.
The Congress leader was reacting to Khan’s statement that he believes there may be a better chance of peace talks with India and settle the Kashmir issue if Prime Minister Modi’s party BJP wins the general elections.
“Pakistan has now officially allied with Shri Modi-ji. Pakistan Prime Minister appears to say that a ‘Vote-for-Modi is a vote for Imran Khan’. It seems that Pakistan has now officially allied with Modi. Imran Khan seems to now wish for his friend Modi-ji’s success,” he told reporters.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel also took a jibe at Prime Minister Modi, saying “the true colours are out” and termed the statement from Khan as “mahamilavat”, a phrase used by Modi to describe the opposition’s ‘mahagathbandhan’ – a grand alliance of all opposition parties to defeat him.
“Their true colours are out. This is called Mahamilavat,” Patel said on Twitter, while tagging a picture of Modi.
Surjewala said the entire country has seen Modi’s love for Nawaz Sharif and ISI when he went “uninvited” to Pakistan and then “invited ISI to India”.
“It seems that the love affair with Imran Khan now continues. We want to say Imran Khan and Pakistan will never succeed nor will the firecrackers in Modi-ji’s language burst in Pakistan, for Modi-ji is going to lose the 2019 election,” he said.
Surjewala said Pakistan Prime Minister and the ISI want that a prime minister should continue in India where the internal strife continues to blow, where the atmosphere of hatred and division gets perpetuated by the actions of the powers that are and where peace is a casualty in the country, where directly or indirectly forces inimical to India continue to get space.
He said Pakistan wants to isolate India while its relationship with China be strengthened.
“Let me say as a citizen of India that Pakistan Prime Minister’s diabolical design and wish will never come true. We will defeat every force that perpetuate and propagate hatred division in this country and Imran Khan’s friend Modi-ji is and his party will be decimated by people of India,” he said.
“Pak has officially allied with Modi! A vote for Modi is a vote for Pakistan!” Surjewala also tweeted.
The Left parties also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over comments made by his Pakistani counterpart.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that Khan’s statement raised concerns over foreign governments “influencing” the outcome of the general elections in India.
“Pakistan has been the only issue of Modi’s election campaign, where he has scurrilously tried to link it to opposition. Now, we know who Pakistan actually wants as PM, the only Indian PM to have invited ISI to a military base, and the only one who went to Pakistan uninvited,” Yechury tweeted.
“We have serious concerns about foreign governments influencing our democratic election process. Last year, it was reported that ISI wants Modi as PM. Now Pakistani PM says it,” he said.
CPI leader D Raja questioned Khan’s locus standi on commenting on the government of a neighbouring country.
“It is not his business to comment on the government of India. It will be decided by the people of this country. How does Khan know that the other governments will not support the peace process between the two countries? Now, it is for Modi to answer why Imran Khan is batting for him. Has Modi asked him to bat for him and his party?” Raja asked.
