Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], January 12 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav strongly objected to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's 'stop Operation Sindoor' remark, calling his statement 'unfortunate', demanding his apology.

Speaking to reporters, CM Yadav said, 'This is the character of Congress. Why should there be repeated pro-Pakistan sentiments? The Prime Minister and BJP's stance is clear: We have avenged our citizens through Operation Sindoor against those who harbour ill intentions toward our country... In such a situation, this kind of statement is unfortunate; Mani Shankar Aiyar should apologise.'

This comes after a video surfaced of senior Congress leader and former minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, in which he advised the current BJP government to hold talks with Pakistan to end tensions after Operation Sindoor, India's strategic military response launched in May 2025 following a major terror attack in Pahalgam.

Aiyar advocated for an 'uninterrupted and uninterruptible' dialogue with Islamabad, cautioning that a hardline stance against a nuclear-armed neighbour could lead to a 'madman' triggering a catastrophe.

Operation Sindoor was initiated on May 7, 2025, as a tri-services action targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK after 26 people were killed in Pahalgam. While the government maintains that the operation is 'still ongoing.'

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala shared the clip on the X handle and alleged that the Congress party always gives 'Pakistan a clean chit' and 'advocates no action on Pakistan for terror'.

https://x.com/Shehzad_Ind/status/2010176070776172731

Additionally, BJP leaders also strongly objected to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remark describing 'Hindutva as Hinduism in paranoia.' They accused Aiyar as a 'British agent' with a 'colonial mindset,' with the whole Congress party itself having a 'Hindu virodhi' (anti-Hindu) mindset.

'Mani Shankar Aiyar is a British agent. He has a colonial mindset. Hindutva is inclusive. Hinduism is a way of life, not a religion. I advise him to read what Swami Vivekananda and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat have said about Hinduism and Hindutva. The people from Congress do have a colonial mindset,' BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy told ANI.

Earlier, while addressing 'The Debate 2026', hosted by the Calcutta Debating Society, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had called 'Hindutva being Hinduism in paranoia.'

'Hindutva is Hinduism in paranoia. It asks 80% Hindus to quiver in front of 14% Muslims. Hindutva is a BJP leader slapping a blind, hungry tribal girl because she attends a Christmas lunch in a Church. Hindutva raids shopping malls to tear down Christmas decorations,' Aiyar said.

While talking about the ideology of Savarkar, he added, 'Savarkar described Buddhism as an existential threat to all Hindus. He described it as the ultimate negation of Hindutva, bearing the opiate of universalism and nonviolence. He said it was disastrous to national virility and even the existence of the Hindu race.' (ANI)