Former Union Minister and Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said that former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (77 years) should be allowed to stay in India as long as she wants. On Bangladesh’s demand for extradition of Hasina, Iyer said that Sheikh Hasina has done a lot of good for us. We all know this. I am happy that he was granted asylum.
He said that I think we should host him as long as he wants. Even if she wants to live in India her whole life. According to the news agency, Iyer was speaking at the 16th Apeejay Literary Festival organized in Kolkata.
Hindus are being attacked
Mani Shankar Aiyar said that it is true that minority Hindus are being attacked in Bangladesh, but the minorities are being attacked because they are supporters of Sheikh Hasina. He said that the reports of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are true, but they are also exaggerated, because most of the conflicts are to resolve political disputes.
The tragedy of partition created a separate country
During the question hour session at the literary festival, Iyer said that Pakistanis are much like Indians, but due to partition, they became a separate country. He further said that there is less difference between my wife and a Pakistani Punjabi than there is between me as a Tamil and my wife as a Punjabi.
took a jibe at the government
Taking aim at the Narendra Modi government, the Congress leader said that we have the courage to carry out surgical strikes, but this government does not have the courage to sit at the table with them (Pakistan). Referring to Pakistan, he said that Pakistan is a country which promotes terrorism, but it is also true that it itself is a victim of terrorism.
Iyer further said that the biggest threat to Pakistan today is the coming to power of Taliban in Afghanistan, whereas Pakistan itself wanted to bring Taliban to power.
It is suicidal to keep Pakistan hanging around your neck.
Mani Shankar Aiyar praised former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Iyer said that his biggest achievement was that he had talked to General Musharraf of Pakistan. It is suicidal for us to keep Pakistan hanging around our neck. We should talk to them just like Manmohan Singh did on the issue of Kashmir.
coup in bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina has been living in India since August 5. Students in Bangladesh protested extensively, after which Sheikh Hasina had to flee Bangladesh. The students’ movement took such a form that a coup took place in Bangladesh and Hasina’s 16-year rule ended.
Let us tell you that former Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, Mashfi Binte Shams had said that although Sheikh Hasina’s extradition from India is a major issue, it has not brought any tension in the relations between New Delhi and Dhaka because this relationship has been going on for a long time. It has been going on since time immemorial and has evolved continuously over the last 50 years.
