Congress’s general secretary, Jairam Ramesh, underscored that Aiyar had subsequently issued an ‘unreserved’ apology for his erroneous use of “alleged invasion” and emphasized that the party disassociates itself from his “original terminology.”
Ramesh also castigated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for purportedly exonerating the Chinese for their transgressions in May 2020.
In a video purportedly capturing an event at the Foreign Correspondents Club on Tuesday evening, Aiyar, recounting a narrative, remarked, “…In October 1962, the Chinese allegedly invaded India.” Shortly thereafter, Aiyar issued a succinct statement: “I unreservedly apologize for having erroneously used the term ‘alleged’ in reference to the ‘Chinese invasion’ at the Foreign Correspondents Club this evening.” Known for his propensity to stir controversy with his comments, Aiyar made these remarks during the launch of the book “Nehru’s First Recruits.”
BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya excoriated the Congress over Aiyar’s statements.
“Mani Shankar Aiyar, at the FCC during the unveiling of ‘Nehru’s First Recruits,’ characterized the Chinese incursion of 1962 as ‘alleged.’ This constitutes a flagrant attempt at historical revisionism,” the BJP leader declared on X.
“Nehru forfeited India’s bid for a permanent seat at the UNSC in favor of the Chinese; Rahul Gandhi inked a clandestine MoU, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation accepted funds from the Chinese Embassy and published reports advocating market access for Chinese firms. Consequently, Sonia Gandhi’s UPA facilitated the Indian market’s opening to Chinese goods, inflicting harm on MSMEs. Now, Congress leader Aiyar endeavors to whitewash the Chinese invasion, following which China has unlawfully occupied 38,000 sq km of Indian territory,” he alleged.
“What elucidates Congress’s affinity for the Chinese?” Malviya queried. In response to the uproar, Ramesh remarked, “Consideration must be afforded to Aiyar’s age. The INC distances itself from his initial wording.”
“The Chinese invasion of India, commencing on October 20, 1962, was unequivocally real. Likewise, the Chinese intrusions in Ladakh in early May 2020, wherein 40 of our soldiers were martyred and the status quo was disrupted,” he asserted.
“The outgoing PM, however, publicly absolved the Chinese on June 19, 2020, thereby significantly undermining our negotiating position. A total of 2,000 sq km of territory, including Depsang and Demchok, remains inaccessible to Indian troops,” Ramesh stated in a post on X. He also reiterated his previous comments accusing PM Modi of exonerating China.
