Pakistan enemy country for BJP, not for us: Karnataka Congress leader sparks row

Karnataka Congress councillor BK Hariprasad on Wednesday stoked a row by saying.

That Pakistan may be an “enemy country” for the BJP, but the Congress only considers it as a neighbouring country. Reacting to it, the state BJP has accused the Congress of harbouring “anti-national sentiments”.

Hariprasad made this remark in response to BJP’s allegations that pro-Pakistan slogans were raised after Congress’s Rajya Sabha win in the state on Tuesday.

“They speak about our relationship with an enemy country. According to them, Pakistan is an enemy country. For us, Pakistan is not an enemy country; it’s our neighbouring country. They say Pakistan is our enemy country. Recently, they awarded the Bharat Ratna to LK Advani, who visited Jinnah’s mausoleum in Lahore and said there was no other secular leader like him. Was Pakistan not an enemy country then?” Hariprasad said in the Legislative Council.

Reacting to Hariprasad’s statement, the Karnataka BJP criticised the Congress for not terming Pakistan as an “enemy nation” even after it waged war against India four times and said the party held “anti-national sentiments”.

“What is the attitude and position of Congress towards Pakistan b. K. Hariprasad made it clear in the House. Jawaharlal Nehru-Mohammed Ali Jinnah has made it clear that the close relationship between Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohammad Ali Jinnah has continued even to the present generation by calling Pakistan an enemy for the BJP and Pakistan a neighbour for @INCKarnataka,” a post by Karnataka BJP’s X handle read.

“Apart from standing by those who shouted slogans of Pakistan Zindabad in the Vidhan Sabha, there will be a lack of words if one insults the mindset of the Congressmen that Pakistan, which has declared war on India four times, is not an enemy nation. Anti-national sentiments like @HariprasadBK2 are rampant at all levels of Congress,” the post read.

Earlier in the day, the BJP staged a protest in the well of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, alleging that supporters of Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha, raised pro-Pakistan slogans after his election win.

The BJP accused the ruling Congress of attempting to protect those responsible. However, the Congress has said that party workers were chanting “Naseer Saab Zindabad” to celebrate Naseer Hussain’s win and not “Pakistan Zindabad”.