Congress Leader Mani Shankar Aiyar Sparks Controversy by Referring to 1962 India-China War as “Alleged Chinese Invasion”

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th May. In a recent event in Delhi, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar sparked controversy by referring to the 1962 India-China war as an “alleged Chinese invasion.” While narrating an anecdote, Aiyar stated, “In October 1962, the Chinese allegedly invaded India,” prompting immediate backlash.

Following the incident, Aiyar issued an “unreserved apology” for what he described as a “mistaken” use of the word “alleged.” The BJP seized upon the gaffe, accusing the Congress of attempting to rewrite history.

“Nehru gave up India’s claim on a permanent seat at the UNSC in favour of the Chinese, Rahul Gandhi signed a secret MoU, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation accepted funds from the Chinese Embassy and published reports recommending market access for Chinese companies. Based on these reports, Sonia Gandhi’s UPA opened up the Indian market for Chinese goods, hurting MSMEs, and now Congress leader Aiyar wants to whitewash the Chinese invasion, after which the Chinese have been in illegal occupation of 38,000 sq km of Indian territory,” BJP’s Amit Malviya posted on X.

As the controversy grew, the Congress distanced itself from Aiyar’s remarks. “Mani Shankar Aiyar has subsequently apologized unreservedly for using the term ‘alleged invasion’ mistakenly. Allowances must be made for his age. The INC distances itself from his original phraseology. The Chinese invasion of India that began on October 20, 1962, was real. So too were the Chinese incursions in Ladakh in early May 2020, in which 20 of our soldiers were martyred and the status quo disturbed,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

Mani Shankar Aiyar is no stranger to controversy. Earlier this month, a video of an old interview went viral where he suggested that India should engage in dialogue with Pakistan to avoid dire consequences. “India should give respect to Pakistan as it has an atom bomb! If we don’t give them respect, they’ll think of using an atom bomb against India,” Aiyar had said. This remark surfaced days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top BJP leaders warned that Indian forces would cross into Pakistan to eliminate any terrorists who flee there.