BJP rips Hamid Ansari over Pakistan journalist’s claims on sharing information with ISI

New Delhi, July 13: The BJP on Wednesday slammed former Vice President Hamid Ansari after a Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza claimed that he was invited by Ansari to India and that he had shared the information he collected with the ISI.

Mirza had claimed that he had been invited by Ansari five times between 2005-2011. Mirza said that during his visits to India he met with Ansari and shared information that is sensitive and secret.

BJP's spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said at a press conference here that we should not forget that the post of vice-president is a Constitutional post and there are many issues that cannot be shared as they are linked to the nation's security.

The Congress which was in power then and Ansari should tell the country whether these instances occurred. Bhatia alleged that Ansari had invited a person from a country that is known to support terrorism.

India has been leading a campaign against terrorism and the Congress government invited a person who gave out information that is sensitive in nature. Is it true that you invited him and violated the rule that no government or institution would work against the interests or hurt the security of the nation?

Did you invite this person and share secret and sensitive matters, officially or unofficially, Bhatia said while seeking answers from Ansari.

If Ansari has done so then he should share it with the current government to show that he is committed to the nation. Bhatia also sought to know if Ansari had been cautioned by the Intelligence agencies that the journalist was sharing his information with the ISI.