In one of the recent addresses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress for comments made by one of its leaders, Mani Shankar Aiyar, over Pakistan's nuclear weapons. He accused the opposition party of resorting to fear-mongering tactics by downplaying India's strengths and harping on Pakistan's possession of atomic weapons.
Addressing an election rally in Odisha's Kandhamal, Modi launched a scathing attack on Aiyar and his party for what he said was their apparent aim: to try and instill fear in the minds of people by talking about the atom bombs in Pakistan's possession. In the same breath, he mocked Pakistan's failing economy, saying that even though they had atom bombs, they were unable to sell them since people knew what kind of 'quality' they were producing.
The Prime Minister did not mince words in hitting out at the Congress for its response to terrorism in the past, especially after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Modi accused the UPA government of letting political calculations get the better of it, even to the extent that it wanted to hold talks with the handlers of terrorists instead of retaliating swiftly.
The condition in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, had been a cause of suffering for its residents for decades, which could be blamed on the Congress's "weak mindset". The Prime Minister underlined the need for a tougher approach to terror and separatism, saying that "the 2019 election is about how to change the fate of J&K". It is noteworthy that Mani Shankar Aiyar's comments were made in an interview to a YouTube channel that India should show respect to Pakistan because it has nuclear weapons and that diplomacy should be pursued and not a military response.
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