"Twelfth man of Pakistan": BJP's CR Kesavan hits out at Congress

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader CR Kesavan on Monday hit out at Congress while accusing the opposition party of consistently "finding fault with patriotism" and "nitpicking" on nationalism and said that it sounds like the "twelfth man of Pakistan".
Referring to a post by Congress leader Salman Khurshid on X, he alleged that Congress has chosen to politicise Operation Sindoor instead of standing up for patriotism during such a time.
"Salman Khurshid's tweet reflects how the Congress party has consistently found fault with patriotism and nitpicked on nationalism. Today, Congress sounds more like the 12th man of Pakistan. The tweet clearly shows that at a time when Congress should have stood for patriotism, it chose instead to politicise Operation Sindoor. For the Congress, divisive and appeasement-based politics matter more than national unity," Kesavan told ANI.
His remarks come after Khurshid on Monday expressed concern over political divisions amid India's efforts to address terrorism through the multi-party delegation visits to various countries, of which he is a part. He said that while India communicates its stance on terrorism globally, some at home focus on political allegiances instead of unity.
Khurshid had posed on X, "When on mission against terrorism, to carry India's message to the world, it's distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances. Is it so difficult to be patriotic?"
"Single voice" is needed to speak in favour of the nation, former External Affairs Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid stressed on Monday while reacting on his post on X in which he hit out at those "calculating political allegiances".
Referring to those posting on X, raising objections regarding Khurshid being part of the multi-party delegation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, he argued that it was not "very encouraging" to say such things when one was serving the nation.
"People keep saying, 'What are you doing in a delegation where there are people from the BJP? What are you doing there?' What are we doing here? (What) we are doing here is what is needed for the country. No matter which party you are from, today, what is needed is a single voice to speak in favour of the nation, and that is what we are doing here. I think when I say, 'Is it so difficult to be a patriot?' - that is the question that has to be asked of those who are putting out tweets and saying things that I think I believe are not very encouraging when you want to do something for the nation," Khurshid told ANI.
He further stated that his visit with the multi-party delegation, led by Janata Dal (United) Sanjay Kumar Jha, to highlight India's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism was not to oppose the government of India but to speak for India. (ANI)