BJP protests against Bilawal Bhutto's remarks on PM Modi

New Delhi, Dec 17: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took to the streets in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow Saturday to burn effigies of Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto whose remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi have led to a nationwide protest. Similar protests have been planned across India as the BJP hits back over the targeting of Modi.

In Delhi, senior BJP members and Bengaluru MP Tejashvi Surya, as well as Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva, took to streets of the city in protest against the comment.

In the morning, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, several party MLAs, and other leaders joined the rally at Tilak Chowk. They set fire to Pakistani flags and shouted anti-Pakistan slogans.

"His remarks are highly derogatory, defamatory and full of cowardice and has been given just to remain in power and save the (Pak) government. It is also aimed at misleading the world and divert global attention from Pakistan's collapsing economy, lawlessness and anarchy besides simmering differences in the Pakistani army, its deteriorating global relations and the fact that it has become a major sanctuary for terrorists," the BJP said in a statement.

Attacking PM Modi, Bhutto, who was in New York to participate in the United Nation meetings, said, "Osama bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the Prime Minister of India."

Referring to PM Modi, Bhutto said he was banned from entering the US until he became the Prime Minister of India. "This is the prime minister of the RSS and the Foreign Minister of the RSS. What is the RSS? The RSS takes inspiration from Hitler's SS", the Pakistan foreign minister stated.

Bhutto made the comments following India's External Affairs minister S Jaishankar's sharp attack on Pakistan calling it as the 'epicentre of terrorism'.

A day later, India's foreign ministry condemned Bhutto's remarks, calling them an "uncivilised outburst".

Lashing out at Bhutto for his 'butcher of Gujarat' jibe at PM Modi, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi said nothing better can be expected from Pakistan as these are the persons who have butchered people in Balochistan, as reported by PTI.

"Normally that is not the way External Affairs Minister of any sovereign nation speaks. But it is Pakistan. What can you expect from it? These are the people who have butchered people in Balochistan. These are the people who have butchered people in Kashmir. These are the butchers of Punjab. These are the butchers of Karachi," she told reporters.

Lekhi said the Pakistani minister's comments are a reflection of his own "mental deficiency and bankruptcy".

"While India is working on startups and incubation, Pakistan is known as the incubator for terrorism. A bankrupt country is represented by intellectually bankrupt people who even dont know how many times Pakistan have been on the gray list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF)," she added.