Focus More On China: Congress Leader Slams Party's Manish Tewari's Book

Congress's Adhir Chowdhury today launched an attack on senior party colleague Manish Tewari over his upcoming book "10 Flash Points; 20 Years - National Security Situations that Impacted India". The excerpts of the book appear to suggest that Mr Tewari -- the official spokesperson of the Congress at the time who later he became the information and broadcasting minister -- was in favour of a tougher response by the UPA government to 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.

"For a state that has no compunctions in brutally slaughtering hundreds of innocent people, restraint is not a sign of strength; it is perceived as a symbol of weakness. There comes a time when actions must speak louder than words. 26/11 was one such time when it just should have been done. It, therefore, is my considered opinion that India should have actioned a kinetic response in the days following India's 9/11," reads the excerpt in question, which has made the party deeply uncomfortable.

Mr Chowdhury, became the first to speak on the issue. "He (Manish Tewari) should be focusing more on China that has captured many of our areas in Ladakh and built villages in Arunachal Pradesh," Mr Chowdhury was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "He is regaining consciousness now. Why has he not talked about it that time," ANI quoted him as saying.

Manish Tewari -- one of the 23 leaders who signed the explosive letter to Sonia Gandhi last year flagging a drift in leadership and demanding sweeping organisational changes- is yet to respond on the issue.

The book has led to much delight in the BJP camp.

"After Salman Khurshid, another Congress leader throws UPA under the bus to sell his book. Manish Tewari in his new book slams the UPA for weakness in the name of restrain post 26/11. Air Chief Marshal Fali Major is already on record saying IAF was ready to strike but UPA froze," tweeted Amit Malviya, the BJP's social media chief.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi said, "Manish Tewari is saying the absolutely right thing. Because, during UPA government, approach against terrorism was very weak and loose. I do not want to politicise the issue of terrorism. But, the UPA government never gave free hand to our forces to counter anti-national elements."

Earlier this month, senior party leader Salman Khurshid landed in controversy over remarks on Hindutva on his new book ''Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times''.

"Sanatan Dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints were being pushed aside by a robust version of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to the jihadist Islam of groups like ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years," Mr Khurshid wrote, stirring a hornet's nest.

Amid much anger in the BJP camp and accusations of playing "communal politics", it also led to a couple of police complaints against him.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had also criticized him, saying "We may not agree with Hindutva as a political ideology but comparing it with ISIS and Jihadist Islam is factually wrong and exaggeration".