Hamid Ansari has responded to the BJP’s allegations that he invited a dubious Pakistani journalist to India when he was Vice President. Mr. Ansari denied meeting or inviting Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza, who is suspected of having ties to Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, in a statement in which he said, “a litany of untruth has been unleashed against me.”
Mr. Ansari denied claims made by the BJP, citing the words of a former Research and Analysis Wing official, that as India’s ambassador to Iran he jeopardised national interests.
“Yesterday and today, portions of the media and the official spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party hurled a barrage of falsehoods at me, claiming that as Vice President of India I had invited Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza. That I had met him at a symposium on ‘terrorism’ in New Delhi and that, as ambassador to Iran, I had betrayed national interest in a topic for which a former government agency official has made claims “Mr. Ansari stated in his declaration.
Then Vice President Hamid Ansari use to invite Pakistani mole regularly to India so that he can carry out his work at the behest of ISI pic.twitter.com/paNHJZela3
— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) July 12, 2022
“It is common knowledge that the Vice President of India invites foreign dignitaries on the suggestion of the government, typically through the Ministry of External Affairs. On December 11, 2010, I had launched the symposium on terrorism… As is customary, the list of invitees would have been compiled by the event’s organizers. I never invited him or met him,” Referring to the Pakistani journalist, the former vice president stated.
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Mr. Ansari stated in the statement, “My activity as Ambassador to Iran was always known to the administration of the day.”
At a press conference, BJP spokesman Gaurav Bhatia challenged Mr. Ansari and the Congress to reply to Mr. Mirza’s claims that he visited India five times during UPA control and transmitted sensitive intelligence obtained in India to Pakistan’s ISI.
Mr. Bhatia highlighted Mr. Mirza’s alleged statements that he had been to India on Mr. Ansari’s request and also met him.
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