Rajasthan BJP Chief Says ‘Siding With Pakistan’ Remark Was Distorted With Malicious Intent

Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Madan Rathore on Friday clarified his controversial remarks about India supporting Pakistan in a hypothetical war with the United States, alleging that his statement had been taken out of context and distorted with malicious intent.

Rathore had earlier sparked a political controversy after saying that India would stand with Pakistan if a war broke out between Pakistan and the US.

Speaking to IANS, the Rajasthan BJP chief said his comments were made in the context of an India-Pakistan cricket match during an event organised for members of the Muslim community.

He explained that the discussion concerned whether people celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India by bursting firecrackers could be considered patriotic. Rathore said the situation would be different if Pakistan were playing against the United States.

He alleged that some people had selectively presented his remarks, particularly the final two lines of a video clip of his speech, to create a misleading impression.

Rathore maintained that India’s position on Pakistan was clear and ruled out the possibility of the two countries ever reuniting. He also described the current relationship between the neighbours as tense and said the misrepresentation of his comments was unfortunate.

Reiterating his opposition to Pakistan, Rathore referred to the Pulwama terror attack and accused Pakistan of training and sending terrorists into India. He also alleged that Pakistan engaged in other activities against India, including the smuggling of narcotics.

The controversy began after Rathore, while speaking at a programme in Jaipur, referred to Pakistan as India’s neighbour and said the country would stand with it in the event of a war with the US.

“We all need to understand this. When it comes to India...If a war breaks out between the US and Pakistan today, we will stand with Pakistan because it is our neighbour... But when it comes to an issue among ourselves, we stand with our India. Right? That is what we need to understand,” he had said.

His remarks drew criticism from the Opposition, with Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed describing Rathore as “anti-national”.