Pakistan won't drop atom bomb if India respects them, says Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar; BJP hits back

Aiyar said India should take efforts to initiate dialogues with Pakistan in a bid to solve problems instead of flashing its nuclear capabilities.

In an interview, Aiyar says, "Pakistan is a sovereign country. It also has respect. India should talk to Pakistan. The weapons won't help. Pakistan has an atom bomb, so do we have. If a madman drops a bomb in Lahore, its radioactivity will reach Amritsar in 8 seconds."

"Pakistan won't think about bombing if India talks to them and pays them respect... If someone is Vishwaguru, he needs to show his efforts to solve problems related to Pakistan. All initiatives to make dialogues have stopped for the last 10 years," the Congress veteran was heard saying in the viral video.

Slamming Aiyar's comment, Union Minsiter and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "Congress party has become an apologist for Pakistan and Pakistan-based terror. Today again there will be an attempt from Congress to distance themselves from Mani Shankar Aiyar..."

Aiyar's comment comes after former Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah reminded India of Pakistan's nuclear capabilities.

"Remember, they (Pakistan) are also not wearing bangles. It has atom bombs, and unfortunately, that atom bomb will fall on us," Abdullah said as quoted by India Today.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Congress over national security during its regime.

Speaking at a rally in Jharkhand, Modi hit out at Congress for "weeping" on a global platform after terrorist attacks.

"Pakistan is now weeping and screaming for help," the Prime Minister said.

Modi's remark undoubtedly refers to the Indian Army's befitting reply to Pathankot and Balakot attacks with surgical strike and airstrike respectively.

Congress, the principal opposition party, has recently faced massive embarrassment over its now resigned Overseas chairperson Sam Pitroda's "racial analogy".

Speaking to The Statesman, Pitroda said, "... diverse country... where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africa."

His comments were heavily criticised by the BJP leaders including PM Modi who attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying the country "won't tolerate disrespect based on the colour of skin".

The Congress had distanced itself from the remark.