The Bharatiya Janata Party has condemned what it termed as the "highly shameful and derogatory remark" of the Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and said that the party will hold nationwide protests against Zardari 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," the party said in a statement.
“The Pakistani foreign minister's remark is highly derogatory, defamatory and full of cowardice which has been given just to remain in power and save the government. 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,” the ruling party said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, union minister for information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur as well as union minister of state for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi both slammed Bhutto for his remarks. Thakur said that Bhutto is “probably still in his pain” about Pakistan’s loss in the 1971 War, while Lekhi said that Bhutto should pay attention to “how many times Pakistan has been in the FATF list”.
The BJP, in its statement, also said that Bhutto’s statement against PM Modi is “highly condemnable and totally uncalled for”. “The kind of language Bilawal Bhutto has used is extremely reprehensible which does not reflect the true spirit of statesmanship and also crosses the limit of decency in public life,” the party said.
Published 16 December 2022, 14:28 IST