BENGALURU: Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily today sought to know why Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept quiet when he had information that his suspended party colleague Mani Shankar Aiyar gave "supari" (contract) to get him "removed" from the way to ensure peace between India and Pakistan.
Moily, a Lok Sabha member and a former Union minister, wondered what Modi was waiting for when he had all the powers at his disposal to take action against Aiyar.
"Why he (Modi) remained silent for such a long period of time to disclose that the attempts were made to remove him? Is he talking responsibly? It is not a question of assassination bid on an individual but the prime minister of the country," Moily told reporters.
He asked the prime minister what investigation has been carried out to establish his claims.
He alleged Modi had made the baseless allegations only to emotionally blackmail the voters of Gujarat and win the Assembly polls somehow.
At an election rally in Gujarat, Modi had said, "...after I became prime minister, this man (Aiyar) went to Pakistan and met some Pakistanis. All this is available on social media." "In that meeting, he is seen discussing with Pakistanis that jab tak Modi ko raste se hataya nahi jata (until Modi is not removed from the way), relationship between India and Pakistan cannot improve," Modi added.
"Someone tell me what is the meaning of raste se hatana (to remove from the way). You had gone to Pakistan to give my supari, you wanted to give Modi's supari (contract killing)," the PM said.
On Karnataka Assembly polls, due early next year, Moily said the manifesto would be released well in time.
"Almost 170 promises we made in the previous elections have been fulfilled. This time again the manifesto will be released well in time," said Moily, who heads the manifesto formation committee comprising 34 members.