New Delhi: Congress MP Manish Tewari Sunday hit out at party colleague and fellow parliamentarian Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after the latter criticised his yet-to-be released book.
Tewari’s ‘10 Flashpoints; 20 Years — National Security Situations That Impacted India’ has been courting controversy since he himself tweeted an excerpt that said the Indian government in 2008 — run by Congress-led UPA — should have “actioned a kinetic response” on Pakistan in the days after the 26/11 terror attacks.
The excerpt was tweeted out Tuesday and many BJP leaders, including Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Rajnath Singh, have subsequently cited the book to criticise the UPA’s response on terrorism.
While the Congress has said it will comment on the book when it is published, adding that members are entitled to their individual views, Chowdhury was quoted by news agency ANI as taking potshots at Tewari.
“He (Tewari) should be focussing more on China that has captured many of our areas on Ladakh and built villages in Arunachal Pradesh,” Chowdhury, the Congress’ leader in the Lok Sabha, said.
He should be focusing more on China that has captured many of our areas in Ladakh & built villages in Arunachal Pradesh. He is regaining consciousness now. Why has he not talked about it that time: Adhir R Choudhary on Manish Tewari's book on UPA govt's response to 26/11 attack pic.twitter.com/vJAvheebNO
— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2021
Since 23 November, when the excerpt was tweeted, former Union minister Tewari has said he was amused by the BJP’s “reaction to one excerpt from a 304 Page book that tries to dissect responses to National Security Situations that Impacted India”.
I am rather amused at @BJP4India reaction to one excerpt from a 304 Page book that tries to dissect responses to National Security Situations that Impacted India.I wonder would they react similarly to some “hard analysis’ about their handling of the National Security Remit also?
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) November 23, 2021
He responded to Chowdhury’s comment Sunday with screenshots showing tweets directed at Rajnath Singh, adding that “the continued incursions by China & the response of NDA/ BJP government to them do form a substantial part of my book (sic)”.
“…hope [they] address your concerns and criticism also,” he added, addressing Chowdhury as “dada”, the term for older brother in the latter’s mother tongue, Bangla.
Dear @adhirrcinc Dada
The screen shots of the tweets 👇🏾addressed to Honble Defense Minister @rajnathsingh ji below hope address your concern and criticism also. The continued incursions by China & the response of NDA/ BJP Government to them do form a substantial part of my book pic.twitter.com/HKNIABqQCn
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) November 28, 2021
Also Read: Now, Manish Tewari’s book excerpt sparks row, BJP accuses UPA of being soft on terror
What the excerpt says
The 26/11 excerpt from Tewari’s book reads: “For a state that has no compunctions in brutally slaughtering hundreds of innocent people, restraint is not a sign of strength; it is perceived as a symbol of weakness. There comes a time when actions must speak louder than words. 26/11 was one such time when it just should have been done. It, therefore, is my considered opinion India should have actioned a kinetic response in the days following India’s 9/11.”
An hour before the tweet to Chowdhury, Tewari had tweeted to Rajnath Singh, reacting to a comment where the minister had cited his book to assert that the UPA had been weak on security during its terms in government.
1/3 as much as it was in 2008. I will discuss this & a lot more including response of your government to continued Chinese incursions since April 2020 that form a substantial part of the book after it’s formal launch on December 2nd 2021. If you have the time plz do come Sir.
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) November 28, 2021
These are the screenshots that Tewari added in his tweet to Chowdhury.
Barely a few weeks ago, the Congress had also faced criticism over a book by senior leader Salman Khurshid, Sunrise Over Ayodhya, where he’d equated Hindutva with the ISIS.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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