Gandhis divided Pakistan: Rahul

[HAIDER]

Agencies

New Delhi, Apr 15: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's remarks crediting his family for some historical events, including the division of Pakistan, today stirred a hornet's nest with political parties slamming his statements.

Meanwhile, Pakistan today said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks claiming the "division" of the country in 1971 as an achievement of his family proves allegations that India interfered in its internal affairs and tried to "destabilise" the nation. Reacting to Gandhi's remarks made while campaiging for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said this proves allegations that "India interfered in Pakistan's affairs and tried to destabilise it".

"This is a clear admission of it," she told Geo TV, arguing that the Gandhi family heading the Congress party ruled India for long.

Asked whether Pakistan would take up the issue with India, she said, "This is not new. Everyone knows what happened in 1971." She also said that the difference between Pakistan's defence capability in 1971 and at present is like "earth and sky".

The Opposition BJP and Samajwadi Party as well as the CPI, a key Congress ally, attacked the Amethi MP, currently in Uttar Pradesh to campaign for the Assembly elections, while the Congress tried to put up a brave face.

"He must speak on topical issues that confront the state of Uttar Pradesh. He is on an election campaign and he must speak on the misrule of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government," CPI National Secretary D Raja said.

Raja said Gandhi must speak about what the Congress can do for Uttar Pradesh. "The contribution of the Congress in the past is not enough," he said.

Senior BJP leader V K Malhotra said Gandhi had shown disrespect to leaders of the freedom movement, including Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Malhotra also flayed the MP for attributing the creation of Bangladesh after the 1971 war to the Gandhi family.

"We would like to remind this young man that it was during the rule of the same family that agreements were signed with Pakistan to give back everything that our forces had won in that conflict," he said.

Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh said Gandhi was "trying hard to find a niche for himself".

Rushing to Gandhi's defence, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said he did not see any error in reminding the country of historical issues.

Singhvi said it was important to understand the "spirit" of Gandhi's statements and not the words used by him. He also pointed out that it was senior BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee who had praised former Indira Gandhi as goddess Durga after the 1971 war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh.

But BJP leaders maintained that Gandhi's comments reflected the "regal and dynastic mindset" of the Congress. BJP spokesman Prakash Javdekar said if Gandhi wanted to credit his family for the division of Pakistan, he should also be willing to hold it responsible for the partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan in 1947.

In Lucknow, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said the Gandhi family should be "credited" for the Kashmir problem, emergency and anti-Sikh riots.

"Soch samajh kar bolna chahiye (Rahul should speak only after serious thinking)," he told reporters.

http://www.centralchronicle.com/20070416/1604141.htm

 

[HAIDER]

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Sunday claimed that his family was responsible for the break-up of Pakistan in 1971, touching off a diplomatic row with Pakistan which seized upon the remark to call it a confirmation of its charge that India interfered in its affairs.

The remark, strongly conflicting India's official stance of non-interference, drew volleys of protests from Congress's rivals who are also livid with the Nehru-Gandhi scion for seeking to appropriate the credit for India's freedom from British rule.

Rahul was addressing an election meeting at Azad Grounds in Bareilly late on Saturday evening when he sought to impress upon the crowd that he meant business in Uttar Pradesh. He claimed that that his family had always carried out what they said.

"Hum jo kaam haath mein lete hain, usey poora kartey hain...chahe woh desh ki azadi ho, Pakistan mein batwara ho ya desh ko ikkiswin sadi mein le jana ho....(We deliver what we promise, be it the independence struggle, dismemberment of Pakistan or leading the country into the 21st century....)," Rahul said.

Pakistan, whom India accuses of meddling in J&K, leapt upon the remark. Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said, "This proves allegations that India interfered in Pakistan's affairs and tried to destabilise the nation." An agency report from Islamabad quoted the spokesperson as telling Geo TV, "This is a clear admission of it", as she pointed out that the Gandhi family heading Congress had ruled India for long
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...sparks_diplomatic_row/articleshow/1912761.cms

 

[Adux]

Haider,

New politician, trying to look all tough, Looking for votes in Uttar Pradesh. Congress now is supposed to be a party of appeasement for the sake of vote banks. He is just trying to get the vote banks of hardliners

 

[Contrarian]

There is nothing he said, that wasnt already known, however it was sparked a diplomatic row apparently. Rahul Gandhi was just trying to garner votes for the UP elections.


Pakistan resents Rahul's remarks

Nirupama Subramanian

Discredit to freedom fighters, says BJP; Should be viewed holistically: Congress

ISLAMABAD: Whether Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's statement, counting the 1971 break-up of Pakistan among his family's "achievements," will win the party votes in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections is uncertain, but it definitely has not won him friends here.

"It validates the point that we all know - that India has always been trying to interfere in Pakistan's internal affairs and to destabilise Pakistan. It is a clear admission of this by a prominent member of India's ruling family, and of the party that is ruling now," said Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam.

The break-up led to the creation of Bangladesh in what was East Pakistan. "It happened nearly 40 years ago. There is the world of a difference between Pakistan's defence capabilities then and now. To entertain or articulate such thoughts in today's world can prove extremely dangerous," she said, adding that there was "nothing in that statement that we did not already know."

Those who are actively engaged in enlarging the constituency for the ongoing peace process between the two countries are horrified.

"It is in such bad taste, and so unnecessary. It is a short-sighted approach to please certain domestic constituencies for the elections, but in the long run, so detrimental to relations between the two countries," said Lt. Gen. Talat Masood, who heads the international conflict-resolution group Pugwash.

"This is not what we expect from someone coming from the Nehru family that is known for its statesman-like approach than for this sort of petty and parochial sentiment and projecting family in a nationalistic mode" he said.

Poet and writer Kishwar Naheed said "someone has finally spoken the truth," adding that it showed "Rahul is still a bachcha [child] and has no idea about politics or diplomacy."

"I am disappointed. He comes from the younger generation, and it shows that there is still a lingering animus towards Pakistan in his generation [of Indians], which I would have expected only in an older generation," said Mushahid Hussain, secretary-general of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid), and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He said Mr. Gandhi had `confirmed' what Pakistan knew all along - that the movement in the erstwhile East Pakistan for an independent Bangladesh was a "creation of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi."

Mr. Hussain said Mr. Gandhi's remarks were aimed at winning votes in his constituency.

K.V. Prasad reports from New Delhi:

Weeks after kicking up a controversy within the Congress over remarks on the Babri Masjid demolition, Mr. Gandhi's remark on the Nehru-Gandhi family's role in the country's freedom struggle and creation of Bangladesh drew flak on Sunday from the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Communist Party of India and the Samajwadi Party.

"I belong to the family which has never moved backwards, which has never gone back on its words. You know that when any member of my family had decided to do anything, he does it. Be it the freedom struggle, the division of Pakistan or taking India to the 21st century,'' Mr. Gandhi said, addressing a public meeting at Badaun during his "Jan Sampark" programme for the ongoing Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra said Mr. Rahul Gandhi was insulting all the freedom fighters by crediting his family alone for the country's independence.

He charged that Mr. Gandhi had shown disrespect to Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and other freedom fighters.

On the Amethi MP's remarks attributing the creation of Bangladesh to his family, the BJP leader said: "We would like to remind this young fellow that it was during the rule of the same family that agreements were signed with Pakistan to give back everything that our forces had won in that conflict,'' he said.

Communist Party of India national secretary D. Raja suggested that instead of raking up historical issues on which he "obviously has no grasp,'' he should take up current issues. Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh was quoted by a news agency as saying that Mr. Gandhi was "trying hard to find a niche for himself.''

The Congress spokesperson, Abhishek Singhvi, however, said the statement should be viewed holistically and not torn out of context.

He said there were three elements to the statement: one was the undeniable contribution of the Nehru family to the freedom struggle, along with the titans, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel; the fact that Rajiv Gandhi introduced the idiom of modernisation way back in the mid-eighties was equally undeniable; Rahul Gandhi was only trying to remind the electors of the victory over Pakistan under the leadership of Indira Gandhi in 1971 — the triumph not only made India proud but led to much of the Opposition hailing Mrs. Gandhi as "Durga incarnate.''
http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/16/stories/2007041610070100.htm

 

[kidwaibhai]

WOW this is really creating a lot of contraversy. didnt everyone know this from before

 

[Bull]

The controversy is about giving credit to Gandhi family for the division of success, while BJP is asking him to own the partition of India too.

 

[MirBadshah]

He is a young guy, it will realy sad if he mets same fate as his father, emotional statements are not good for politicians, tommorow he would come up with same statement against Sikhs.

 

[Skull-Buster]

this is the typical mindset of 99.99% of indian youth. the thing which brings them maximum joy is when Pakistan is hurt. i am not talking out of emotions, i am talking out of experience. (i lived 3 yrs in india).

 

[Contrarian]

Share your experience with us

 

[BATMAN]

WOW this is really creating a lot of contraversy. didnt everyone know this from before

Whole world knows it but the propaganda coming out of one billion Indian mouth has always over shadowed the truth.
Even on the very same forum people have denied this very fact.
Now the proud disclosure of R.Gandhi re-endorse the fact that India has not only invaded Pakistan militarily rather has conspired the whole conflict.
Public speech of Rahul is a clear signal of his determination to continue the Gandhi legacy and plans of present Indian government towards Pakistan.

 

[BATMAN]

Haider,

New politician, trying to look all tough, Looking for votes in Uttar Pradesh. Congress now is supposed to be a party of appeasement for the sake of vote banks. He is just trying to get the vote banks of hardliners

Hardliners!! or FANATICS?
How many it takes to command India's foreign policy?
Do you count the speaker in?

 

[Neo]

Monday, April 16, 2007

Gandhis divided Pakistan: Rahul

* FO says statement shows India interfering in Pakistan’s affairs

ISLAMABAD: Rahul Gandhi, Congress party MP and son of party president Sonia Gandhi, invoked his family name on Sunday in various achievements that included the “division of Pakistan” in 1971, according to a report on DesPardes.com. “You know, when our (Gandhi) family commits to a task it also completes it. In the past too, members of the Gandhi family have achieved the goals they have initiated, like ... dividing Pakistan into two,” he said in a public meeting in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, as part of an election campaign.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office reacted angrily to the “dangerous” statement. “These remarks validate that India has always tried to interfere in Pakistan’s internal affairs and to destabilise Pakistan,” FO spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told a private TV. Asked if Pakistan would lodge a formal protest, Aslam said there was no need because it was “no secret” that India was involved in destabilising Pakistan. She said Indian officials should not hold such views, because Pakistan was very different now to 40 years ago, and with much stronger defence capabilities.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\04\16\story_16-4-2007_pg1_3

 

[Neo]

Oh ooh, somebody opened the pandora's box again...

 

[Contrarian]

Yeh, stupid kid Rahul.

 

[Bushroda]

Some chu**a has still got his head buried in 1971 sands.

Mods!! pardon my language as I couldn't find any suitable word for this moron.