BJP stages protest against Bilawal Bhutto in Lucknow, burns effigy

The BJP in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday staged a protest here against Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhuttos highly shameful and derogatory comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.A party leader said an effigy of the Pakistani minister was burnt in the state capital.Thousands of BJP workers marched from the Uttar Pradesh BJP office to the Atal Chowk in Hazratganj, and raised slogans against Bilawal Bhutto.

The BJP in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday staged a protest here against Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto's ''highly shameful and derogatory'' comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A party leader said an effigy of the Pakistani minister was burnt in the state capital.

''Thousands of BJP workers marched from the Uttar Pradesh BJP office to the Atal Chowk (in Hazratganj), and raised slogans against Bilawal Bhutto. The party workers, under the leadership of state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, also burnt an effigy of the Pakistani foreign minister,'' party spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI.

Taking a jibe at Bhutto, he said, ''Bilawal Bhutto is not a 'videsh mantri' (foreign minister), he is a 'vidwesh mantri' (hostility minister).'' Speaking to reporters, Chaudhary said, ''The statement given by the foreign minister of Pakistan on Prime Minister Narendra Modi is extremely objectionable. On behalf of the 135 crore people of India, I demand that he withdraw the bad words he said about our prime minister, take back his statement, and tender an apology to the people (of India).'' On Friday, BJP workers in Mathura staged a protest against Bhutto and also burnt an effigy.

The BJP on Friday dubbed the Pakistani minister's personal comments against Prime Minister Modi as ''highly shameful and derogatory'', and said it would hold nationwide protests on Saturday.

''His remarks are highly derogatory, defamatory and full of cowardice and have been given just to remain in power and save the (Pak) government,'' the BJP had said in a statement.

The Pakistani leader's comments are also aimed at misleading the world and divert global attention from his country'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 party said.

The BJP said the Modi government's rescue mission for students during the Ukraine-Russia conflict saw even some Pakistani students being evacuated. The mission was carried out under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, it noted.

Bhutto's statement against Modi is ''highly condemnable and totally uncalled for'', and the ''demeaning'' statement has further lowered the image of Pakistan globally, the party said.

''The kind of language Bhutto has used is extremely reprehensible which does not reflect the true spirit of statesmanship and also crosses the limit of decency in public life. Does he even have the stature to comment about our Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji who is a true statesman and a highly respected global leader,'' the BJP said.

The Pakistani foreign minister resorted to a personal attack against Modi and slammed the RSS after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the neighbouring country's support to various terror groups and described the country as the ''epicentre of terrorism''.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)