Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will stage statewide rallies on Saturday in response to the “derogatory” remarks made by Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari against Prime Minister Narendra Modi that infuriated the nation.
“The protests will be held in all the state capitals across the country. BJP karyakartas will burn the effigy of Pakistan and Pakistani Foreign Minister and will strongly condemn the shameful statement of Pakistani Foreign Minister,” BJP said in a statement on Friday.
This indignation is in response to the slanderous statements made by the Pakistani foreign minister at a news conference at the United Nations in New York.
The BJP called Bilawal Bhutto’s comment “extremely insulting and full of cowardice,” and claimed it was made to deflect attention away from Pakistan’s crumbling economy, lawlessness, and disorder.
“The statement is also aimed at misleading the world and divert global attention from Pakistan’s collapsing economy, lawlessness and anarchy in Pakistan, simmering differences in the Pakistani army, its deteriorating global relations and the fact that Pakistan has become the major sanctuary for terrorists,” it said.
BJP members protested outside the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi on Friday in opposition to Bilawal’s speech. According to the BJP, Pakistan is receiving criticism from even smaller countries, whereas India’s foreign policy is praised by all countries.
“On one hand we have our Prime Minister Narendra Modi under whose leadership India has left its indelible mark on various global fora, and on the other hand, we have Pakistan which has faced ridicule and insult on various international platforms. On one hand, India’s foreign policy is being appreciated globally, while on the other hand, Pakistan is facing backlash from even smaller nations,” the BJP said.
The party said that everyone witnessed how even Pakistani students were saved during the PM Modi-led rescue operation that took place during the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
The BJP claimed that Bilawal Bhutto’s language was abhorrent, did not reflect the true spirit of statesmanship, and went beyond what is acceptable in public discourse.
“Does Bilawal Bhutto even have the stature to comment about our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji who is a true statesman and a highly respected global leader! This demeaning statement of Bilawal Bhutto had further lowered the image of Pakistan on the global platform,” it added.
In addition, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister was criticised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for his “uncivilised outburst” toward Prime Minister Modi, adding that “these words represent a new low, even for Pakistan.”
“Pakistan foreign minister’s frustration would be better directed towards the masterminds of terrorist enterprises in his own country, who have made terrorism a part of their state policy. Pakistan needs to change its own mindset or remain a pariah,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in response to media queries.