After BJP leaders took a dig at Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remarks about Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf, who died on Sunday, calling him a “foe” turned “real force for peace” later in his condolence message, Tharoor said that he was “raised in an India where you are expected to speak kindly of people when they die”.
“I was raised in an India where you are expected to speak kindly of people when they die. Musharraf was an implacable enemy and was responsible for Kargil but he did work for peace w/India, in his own interest, 2002-7. He was no friend but he saw strategic benefit in peace, as did we,” Tharoor said in a tweet.
Pakistan’s former military ruler Musharraf died in Dubai after a prolonged illness, at the age of 79 years.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP on Sunday condoled his demise, and tweeted, “‘Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistani President, Dies of Rare Disease’: once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007.”
“I met him annually in those days at the @un & found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP,” the former minister of state for external affairs said.
Following his remarks, BJP leaders criticised Tharoor. Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that his comments “best described Congress”.
“Nothing like a proper military thrashing for Fatcat Pak Dictator Generals to become a “force for peace” and develop “clear strategic thinking”. Not withstandng many lives lost n Intl laws violated n harm caused all around, these Generals will have their admiring fans in India (sic),” Chandrasekhar said.
In another tweet, he said, “That a former Cong Foreign Min (a party that refused to celebrate Kargil Vijay Diwas till 2010) wud think that a Pak General who inflicted terror, a back stabbing conflict n tortured our Soldiers in violatn of every Intl law, wud be a ‘force for peace’ – best describes Cong (sic).”
Calling Musharraf as the “architect of Kargil”, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that the “dictator” was “hailed by Congress”.
“Pervez Musharraf architect of Kargil, dictator, accused of heinous crimes who considered Taliban & Osama as ‘brothers’ & ‘heroes’ who refused to even take back bodies of his own dead soldiers is being hailed by Congress! Are you surprised? Again, Congress ki pak parasti!,” he tweeted.
“Once upon a time Musharraf had hailed Rahul Gandhi as a gentleman perhaps that endears Congress to Musharraf??” he added.
“From 370 to Surgical Strike to doubting Balakote Congress echoed Pak line & hails Musharraf but called our own chief ‘Sadak Ka Gunda’..This is Congress!!” Poonawalla said.
Born on August 11, 1943 in Delhi, Musharraf was the tenth president of Pakistan after a successful military coup in 1999.