"I stand by what I said": Congress' BK Hariprasad on 'Pak enemy country for BJP, not for us' statement

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 29 : Congress MLA BK Hariprasad defended his 'Pakistan enemy country for the BJP, not for us', statement on Thursday, saying that the BJP is playing dirty tricks and asked the central government to declare Pakistan an enemy state.
He also threatened to move a privilege motion against channels that twisted his statements
"I said Pakistan is our neighbouring state. Let the BJP declare Pakistan an enemy state. The BJP is fully active in playing dirty tricks; whatever I have said in the Council, we have no objection to publishing whatever I have said. If they add masala to that, I think I'll have to move a privilege motion against those channels that have twisted my statements. Whatever statement I made in the Council, I stand by that," BK Hariprasad said while speaking to ANI on Thursday.
He further demanded that Pakistan should be declared an enemy state by the central government and should ban all trade with them.
"If at all the BJP feels that Pakistan is an enemy state, the central government should ban all the trade and they should declare Pak an enemy state. Until and unless they declare Pak an enemy state we can't call them enemy state. So they are our neighbour," the Congress legislator said.
He further claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter's wedding in Lahore without invitation.
"PM Modi went to Pak to attend Nawaz Sharif's grand daughter's marriage without an invitation, breaking all protocols; we have not done any such thing. Whatever I have said, I stand by that," Hariprasad said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hariprasad, in his speech in the legislative council, claimed that Pakistan may be an enemy country for the BJP, but the Congress considers it a neighbouring country
"They (BJP) speak about our relationship with an enemy country. According to them, Pakistan is an enemy country. For us, Pakistan is not an enemy country, it's our neighbouring country. They say Pakistan is our enemy country. Recently, they awarded the Bharat Ratna to LK Advani, who visited Jinnah's mausoleum in Lahore and said there was no other secular leader like him. Was Pakistan not an enemy country then?" Hariprasad said while speaking in the assembly.
The Congress legislator's remarks came while speaking in the assembly on Wednesday, sparking a stir amid ongoing controversy over alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans by supporters of the party's MP-elect Syed Naseer Hussain outside Vidhana Soudha.
Responding to Hariprasad's statement, Karnataka Deputy LoP and BJP leader Arvind Bellad said, "It is extremely sad that a senior leader from Congress, BK Hariprasad, said so. Very unfortunate."

"We all know what Pakistan has done to India and Indians. This shows Congress' mentality. In order to appease minorities and Muslims, just for votes, Congress can go to any extent," he added.
BJP lashed out at the Congress leader's remarks, saying that this statement made the party's 'attitude' clear.
"What is the attitude and position of Congress towards Pakistan? BK Hariprasad made it clear in the council, Jawaharlal Nehru-Mohammed Ali Jinnah has made it clear that the close relationship between Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohammad Ali Jinnah has continued even to the present generation by calling Pakistan an enemy for the BJP and Pakistan a neighbour for Congress," a post on BJP Karnataka's official handle on X stated.
"Apart from standing by those who shouted slogans of Pakistan Zindabad in the Vidhan Sabha, there will be a lack of words if one insults the mindset of the Congressmen that Pakistan, which has declared war on India four times, is not an enemy nation. Anti-national sentiments like @HariprasadBK2 are rampant at all levels of Congress," the post read.