PM had alleged that Pakistan was trying to influence Gujarat polls.

In a reply to a Right to Information application filed by the Congress, the Prime Minister’s Office has said that Narendra Modi’s campaign speech during the Gujarat Assembly elections, where he alleged that Pakistan was trying to influence the polls could have been based on an “informal input”.

In a speech at Palanpur on December 10, 2017, Mr. Modi talked of a “secret meeting” at former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s residence. The meeting, he had alleged, was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Vice-President Hamid Ansari, former Army Chief Deepak Kapoor and distinguished diplomats. It was reportedly hosted for former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri who was in India to attend a talk by Ananta Centre, a Delhi-based think-tank, titled “The Current State of India-Pakistan Relations” the next day.

Mr. Modi had alleged that the meeting was essentially to influence the results of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

A Congress nominee, Saket Gokhale, shot off an RTI query to the PMO, questioning the source of the PM’s claims. “While information sought does not form part of records held by this office, it may be noted that inputs received from multiple channels, including formal and informal, form the source of PM’s statements,” the PMO said in its reply.

Congress demands apology

Renewing the demand for an apology from Mr. Modi, the Congress said that if the BJP did not apologise for the “lies” perpetrated by its leader, democracy would be in danger.

Mr. Singh had shot off a letter soon after Mr. Modi’s speech, accusing him of setting a “dangerous precedent” and demanding an apology. The winter session of Parliament too was stalled for many days on the issue. Both sides decided to bury the hatchet only after the government and the Opposition backtracked.

Calling it a “low grade” jumla, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said at a press conference on Saturday: “What is informal about a constitutional post? You are raising a question mark on the democratic processes on the basis of the informal information.” Mr. Khera said that in every State or municipal election, Mr. Modi had stooped low for the BJP’s victory.

“He is considered to be the most articulate PM. Does it behove the PM to raise questions based on informal sources? The BJP does not know how to conduct itself when it wins an election, when it loses one and when it is in the government,” he added.