india

Updated: Apr 18, 2019 00:48 IST

Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s comment that chances of peace talks with India are better if the BJP wins the general election is a ploy by the Congress to oust the Narendra Modi government, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.

Sitharaman also contended that Congress leaders had gone to Pakistan “to seek help to oust” Modi. The minister had levelled similar accusations against the Congress in January. Congress dismissed both charges as “laughable”.

Khan had made this statement earlier this month.

Sitharaman told ANI: “I wouldn’t know why such statements are being made... There have been many eminent leaders of the Congress who went there [Pakistan] to seek help to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” She did not specify who these leaders were and when they went to Pakistan.

“There was no Congress PM in the last 30 years who indulged Pakistan or its leadership, PM Modi not only invited the Pakistan PM but dashed off to Islamabad unscheduled... Now that Imran Khan is doing the PM’s bidding as a friend, Sitharaman has no option but to make this outrageous and laughable statement,” said Congress leader Pranav Jha.