Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday distanced his party from Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remark on China. The leader said that the former union minister made the remarks in his “personal capacity”.

Mani Shankar Aiyar sparked a massive political row after he said during an event on Tuesday that in October 1962, the Chinese “allegedly invaded India.” The remark sparked a wave of backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), prompting Congress to distance itself from Aiyar’s comments.

Jairam Ramesh, said earlier in the day, that Aiyar has “subsequently apologised unreservedly” for his remarks.

Speaking to ANI, Ramesh said: “Who is Mani Shankar Aiyar? He is not an official, he is a former MP and a former minister. He speaks whatever he wants in his personal capacity.”

“We have nothing to do with it… Media, BJP’s troll army and social media keep running it. Today, he has nothing to do with the Congress party. He is in the Congress party but he is not even an MP, he is just a former MP,” he added.

Jairam Ramesh also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “sent by god” remarks, and his comments on how “no one knew Mahatma Gandhi before ‘Gandhi’ (1982) movie was released.”

“The language PM Modi is using, the way he is demeaning Congress and INDIA bloc leaders. He is spreading the pandemic of lies…now it seems he has even lost his mental balance. The elections are fought between people, here he (PM Modi) is calling himself as God…what kind of a person he is, how can he be trusted,” the Congress leader said.

“Today, he said that no one knew Mahatma Gandhi before 1982. The environment that was created by his party led to the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. Godse is worshipped today. Our current PM is associated with the same ideology,” he added.

Jairam Ramesh expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc will form the government in the country.

“It became clear after the first two phases itself that the INDIA bloc will get a full majority…on June 4 the outgoing PM will be going out. INDIA bloc will form the government and run a stable, patient and responsible government for five years,” he said.

With inputs from ANI