"Who is Mani Shankar Aiyar?": Jairam Ramesh distances party from leader's 'controversial' remarks

New Delhi [India], May 29 : Congress leader Jairam Ramesh distanced the party from the comments made by former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Chinese aggression in 1962, and said Aiyar's remarks were in his "personal capacity".
Aiyar, who is no stranger to controversies, sparked a massive row after he said, "In October 1962, the Chinese allegedly invaded India" during an event on Tuesday.
The remarks were met with severe backlash with the BJP coming out guns blazing against the Congress, following which the party had to distance itself from Aiyar's comments. Jairam Ramesh, said earlier in the day, that Aiyar has "subsequently apologised unreservedly" for his remarks.
Speaking to ANI, Jairam Ramesh said, "Who is Mani Shankar Aiyar? He is not an official, he is a former MP and a former minister. He speaks whatever he wants in his personal capacity. We have nothing to do with it... Media, BJP's troll army and social media keep running it. Today, he has nothing to do with the Congress party. He is in Congress party but he is not even an MP, he is just a former MP."
Ramesh, who is also Congress general secretary in charge of Communication, also exuded confidence that the INDIA bloc will form the government on June 4.
"It became clear after the first two phases itself that the INDIA bloc will get a full majority...on June 4 the outgoing PM will be going out. INDIA bloc will form the government and run a stable, patient and responsible government for five years.
He attacked Prime Minister Modi over his "sent by God" remark and the statement that "no one knew Mahatma Gandhi before 'Gandhi' (1982) movie was released."
"The language PM Modi is using, the way he is demeaning Congress and INDIA bloc leaders. He is spreading the pandemic of lies...now it seems he has even lost his mental balance. The elections are fought between people, here he (PM Modi) is calling himself as God...what kind of a person he is, how can he be trusted," Ramesh said.
He added, "Today, he said that no one knew Mahatma Gandhi before 1982. The environment that was created by his party led to the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. Godse is worshipped today. Our current PM is associated with the same ideology."
Attacking the BJP further, he asked whether the party would conduct a nationwide caste census and if it would remove the 50 per cent cap on the reservation.
The Lok Sabha elections are being held across seven phases. While the first six phases are already over, the voting in the last phase will take place on June 1. The counting is scheduled for June 4.