Hamid Ansari considers BJP allegations of inviting Pakistani “spies” a “package of lies”

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BJP spokesman Gaurav Bhatia cited the alleged claim of a Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza that former Vice President Hamid Ansari had shared a lot of “delicate” information inviting Mirza. Ansari refuted this saying that he never invited this person nor had he ever met him.

Former Vice President Hamid Ansari. (Photo: The Wire)

New Delhi: Former Vice President Hamid Ansari has rejected the BJP’s allegation of having invited a “Pakistani journalist who claimed to be spying for the ISI” as a “package of lies”, saying he never spoke to the journalist, he did not meet him or invite him.

On Wednesday, July 13, BJP spokesman Gaurav Bhatia, in a press conference here, alleged that Ansari shared a lot of “sensitive and highly confidential” information, citing the alleged statement of Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza.

Bhatia also referred to the statements of a former official of India’s foreign intelligence agency RAW, alleging that Ansari had harmed the country’s interests as India’s ambassador to Iran.

Ansari, who was vice president from 2007 to 2017, had previously served as India’s ambassador to many countries, including Iran.

Hamid Ansari, in a statement, denied the accusation of harming the interests of the country, saying that his work as ambassador to Iran was in the knowledge of the then government at all times.

Rejecting the BJP’s claim to invite Mirza, Ansari said it is a known fact that the Vice President of India’s invitations to foreign dignitaries are usually made through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the advice of the government.

Meanwhile, Ansari Special Service Officer (OSD) Gurdeep Singh Sappal denied the allegations, saying Mirza did not say Ansari had invited him and that the Pakistani journalist would have been present only at the seminar where the then vice president delivered a speech on terrorism. .

Sappal has also referred to a video of Mirza in a series of tweets in which he can be heard saying that Ansari was the ‘naib sadar’ (vice president) when he was invited to a seminar in 2010.

Ansari said in his statement: “I inaugurated the ‘International Conference of Jurists on Terrorism and Human Rights’ on terrorism on 11 December 2010. As usual, the guest list will be drawn up by the organizers. I invited (Pakistani journalist) nor did I meet him.

The former vice president said his job as ambassador to Iran was in the knowledge of the then government at all times. He is bound by a commitment to national security in these matters and will refrain from commenting on them.

Ansari said: “The Indian government has all the information and is the only authority to tell the truth. It is clear that after my tenure in Tehran, I was appointed Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in New York. The work done by me there has been accepted at home and abroad.

At the same time, Congress also retaliated, strongly condemning the BJP’s “reaction” against party president Sonia Gandhi and the former vice president, saying it is the “worst form of character murder.”

Congress Secretary-General Jairam Ramesh said in a statement that it was shocking for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party allies to step down to such a level as to undermine public discourse.

“He shows mental illness and lacks any kind of honesty,” Ramesh said.

(with input from the language of the news agency)

Categories: India, Politics, Special

Tagged as: Ambassador, BJP, Congress, Gaurav Bhatia, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Hamid Ansari, Iran, ISI, Jairam Ramesh, News, Nusrat Mirza, Pakistani Journalist, Sonia Gandhi, Spy, The Wire Hindi, UPA, Vice President

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