Pak to India: Don’t drag us into your poll debates

New Delhi: Pakistan on Monday reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charge of interference in the Gujarat polls, saying Islamabad should not be “dragged” into Indian electoral debate and that victories should be won on one’s “own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies which are utterly baseless and irresponsible”.

PM Modi had, on Sunday, talked about a recent dinner at suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house which was attended by prominent dignitaries from Pakistan, besides senior Congress leaders.

In a tweet on Monday, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said, “India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible.”

Senior BJP leader and Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the “unwarranted” statement by Pakistan and asked it not to sermonise to India. He alleged that the Pakistani statement sought to “bail out” the Congress Party.

“Today a very curious statement has been released by Pakistan foreign office condemning Pakistan being dragged into India’s election and stated that Indians must learn to fight the elections on their own. I wish to tell Pakistan that Indians are capable of contesting (elections in) India’s democracy on their own… India’s Prime Minister is a popularly elected PM,” Mr Prasad was quoted by news agencies as saying.

He added that India “completely abhors any outside interference in India’s electoral affairs… The role of Pakistan in promoting terrorism in India is too well known in the entire world. Please stop giving us lessons. We are proud of India’s democracy.”  

“Pakistan comes out with an official statement… in many ways seeking to bail out Congress Party. Is it too suspicious? Surely, the country will draw its own conclusion,” he said.

PM Modi’s comments have led to a huge political row since it is common for diplomats stationed in New Delhi and visiting dignitaries to attend social events, including private dinners. Mr Aiyar himself is a former diplomat. Further, Union ministers in the Modi government too have, in their official capacity, attended formal occasions at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi.

PM Modi had himself visited Pakistan two years ago to personally extend greetings to the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his birthday.

PM Modi’s charge reflects the rock-bottom ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Ironically, this comes at a time when Islamabad has agreed to the Indian request to allow both the mother and wife of imprisoned former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav to visit him on December 25.

On Sunday, PM Modi had also raised questions over an alleged appeal by a former senior Pakistan Army officer on making senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat. PM Modi’s home state Gujarat is witnessing a high-stakes poll battle between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress. Gujarat shares a land-border with Pakistan’s Sindh province.